The word on the street is it's a setup orchestrated by the corrupt fuckers that are under investigation to take back power and get out of the shit they are in....
This is what I was sent and it seems to explain the situation pretty well.

Intel on the ground is as follows (from interviews with looters)

• All ANC members under investigation ie. Ace, Zuma, Duduzane, Carl Niehaus etc and the previous Mayor of Durban - Zandile Gumede have orchestrated a grand plan to get away with their corruption by regaining control of the cabinet.
• Cyril has made it clear that all he plans to clean up house and those implicated in corruption will be prosecuted. Zuma being the one the NPA has started with, the NPA have also been hot on the heels of Ace, Duduzane and Zandile.
• Ace, Zum, Gumede stand to lose everything and will see jail time if this happens.
• The plot was simple, Ace as secretary general and Gumede as previous Mayor have full control of all ANC ward councillors and leaders in community. Gumede controls the Taxi association, through corruption,
  and uses the taxi association to extort money from business, this is a well known fact in Durban.
• They devised a well-orchestrated plan to create anarchy, by reaching out to all ward councillors and other leaders in communities by exploiting their frustration in poor service delivery, poverty and lack of jobs with the promise of
  being able to take everything and anything they want from any business.. and to make the "white people" feel what it feels like to be without food and jobs all the community had to do was to follow their lead and loot from the stores when the time came.
• The looting has been exceptionally well coordinated, with people knowing hours beforehand where they were going to target and when.
• The criminal elements then lead the community into the shopping centeres with the promise of free food, equipment, tv's etc etc. "they will be protected by the leaders when looting"
• Co-ordinating the movement of thousands of people at the same time to the same place.
• Once anarchy sets in - they leverage the difficult situation cyril's administration finds itself in and poor public opinion that ensues to initiate a vote of no confidence in Cyril, replace the cabinet and take back the government. Dissolve all cases against them and get away "scot free"
• Failing the vote of no confidence they initiate a coup

• Either way regaining control of the government.

• 90% of the looters are there for the free goods and have no intention to be violent or any political agenda.. they believe or at least they have been brainwashed into thinking they are righteous by taking what they never got.

• The other 10% are politically motivated to incite violence and create anarchy, supported by the MKMVA in order to destabilize the country and force government to make a bad move. ie. deploy the army and kill black people, falling right into the hands of Zuma faction.

• In summary this is internal ANC battle being played out on the battlefields of Durban with the rest of the country to follow.