Police Minister Bheki Cele suggested the widespread looting in parts of the country was nothing more than a smokescreen for those planning attacks against the state, in order to destabilise the country.

Cele visited Mamelodi in Pretoria on Wednesday to assess the looting at Mams Mall.

The violent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, which followed the arrest and incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma, has since spilt over into parts of Gauteng.

Widespread looting and destruction of property have been witnessed in KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, leaving a wasteland in its wake.

Police have, so far, arrested 1 234 people linked to riots and looting, while the number of fatalities is now at 72, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure said on Tuesday.

Smokescreen

Commenting on the situation, Cele said what was unfolding was far beyond just simple criminality.

He said vital infrastructure was being prioritised and protected, including hospitals, substations, airports, water reservoirs, ports and the KZN provincial legislature.

He said the infrastructure would be protected by the army, which had been deployed to assist the police in quelling the violence.

"The key points, one of it if you drive to [Chris Hani Baragwanath] hospital, you realise that we have some extra protection there because this thing of looting is a smokescreen," Cele said.

Crimes against the state

The minister said it appeared that crimes against the state were being planned and perpetrated.

"It does look like it is crimes against the state. So relevant structures will then have to work in that kind of proportionality to say people are attacking the state if they are organised and all that."For instance, somebody has sent the information last night of a person who has given details of the pipeline moving from Durban to Johannesburg. You are not going to tell me, what are you going to loot in that pipe, except causing the damage and terrorising the nation."

Cele added that intelligence had ensured that specific infrastructure was prevented from being attacked.

"For instance, in KZN yesterday, they were planning to burn the hospital. To burn the hospital, with patients inside, that was averted."

State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo previously said intelligence had helped avert a lot more violence than had been observed and had prevented planned attacks on substations, ANC provincial offices in KZN, and attacks at Durban Westville prison.

"I want South Africans to rest assured that we did avert a lot. What you see is only part of what could have happened," Dlodlo said.

Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa told reporters on Wednesday the unrest happening in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng was "sophisticated" and seemed to be driven by people "experienced in running operations".

Kodwa was speaking outside Maponya Mall in Pimville, Soweto, where residents were guarding the centre against looting.

"This campaign is not sporadic. It is not spontaneous. There is somebody who is driving this operation," Kodwa said.

He said the government was looking beyond the looting suspects - and were also focusing on those instigating the unrest, including celebrities who were supporting the acts on social media.

News24 on Wednesday revealed the former head of the State Security Agency's (SSA) rogue special operations unit, Thulani Dlomo, had been identified as a prime suspect being investigated for fomenting the violent unrest.

The former spook and ambassador to Japan is known to be fiercely loyal to Zuma and is said to be at the centre of orchestrating the pro-Zuma unrest, which has descended into looting across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, according to well-placed sources, News24 reported.

The State Capture Inquiry had previously heard evidence that Dlomo's unit effectively operated as Zuma's private militia, "was a law unto itself and directly served the political interests of the executive".

Dlodlo confirmed that they were investigating the involvement of former senior SSA agents, without naming Dlomo.