The stubborn ticks that are sucking South Africa dry are embedded deep in the fibre of state machinery. Until we have a leadership that will decisively remove them (and is not itself complicit), our country is doomed.

Whenever I think of the rampant plundering of South Africa's public resources, a childhood story comes to mind.

When I grew up in Port Alfred, there was a Reverend Maguma who had a shop. On evenings and weekends, his sons manned the shop because he was running his church. As young boys who were the sons' friends, we would flock there every day because they sold us items at half price or sometimes just gave them to us for nothing. Some of us would even resell those to others and earn money.

In no time, Rev Maguma had to shut down his shop because it couldn't sustain the losses. Just like the public leaders and servants who plunder the public purse today, the sons were eating the very capital that could have made a material difference in their own and (later) their children's lives.

Similarly, the short-sightedness of the merchants of corruption blinds them from seeing how the resources they steal could help end poverty in South Africa. If things continue to deteriorate, South Africa Inc will soon close shop, thus exacerbating its already fragile state.

Every year, the Fund for Peace produces the Fragile States Index. In the...