Ismail Lagardien is a writer, columnist and political economist with extensive exposure and experience in global political economic affairs. He was educated at the London School of Economics, and holds a PhD in International Political Economy.
The destruction that followed the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma may turn out to be epochal in the life and times of South Africa, and more specifically of the ruling alliance, as no less an authority than Siphiwe Nyanda has suggested.
A lot has been written about the events of the past week or two, and a lot more will be written. And, as suggested above, the events of the past couple of weeks may well be a turning point. Let’s leave that for now, or let the seers, prophets and fortune-tellers tell us what will happen next. However, digging through the rubble and the smouldering ruins, what stands out is a massive failure on the part of the state intelligence community.