Report by expert panel into July unrest made public
The country's intelligence structures failed to respond adequately to the week-long violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July last year.
That's according to a presidential report into the unrest.
The two provinces were scenes of pandemonium as thousands of looters went on the rampage in shops and malls.
Some 300 people died in the country in the unrest, while some infrastructure and other property were damaged.
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The 154-page report was compiled by an expert panel - appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa - to review government's response to the unrest.
It's found that police were taken by surprise by the methods used in the attacks and were unable to adapt their tactics to the situation.
It says while the South African Police Service was aware of planned protest, it did not anticipate the speed and scale with which it took place.
Officers are said to have also quickly run out of crowd control equipment and became overwhelmed by the number of looters.
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The report says there should be a way for Public Order Policing to control large crowds.
The panel has recommended that the capacity of security services and technology need to be strengthened to respond to all situations.
It also called on government to focus on tackling the socio-economic challenges facing the country.
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