In the midst of misery and mayhem there is always some small comfort to be found. For South Africans, in the wake of a week of collective insanity that saw shopping malls burnt and people left hungry, that solace came in the form of an expensive couch.

The sofa nicknamed Pablo, resplendent in blue leather that would not look out of place in the reception room of the DA’s headquarters, was stolen from an upmarket furniture store...