Angola does not score well on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Most of the countries ranked lower than Angola on the index could very well be failed states. Corruption in the country is a long-standing problem that affects all levels of society from the top to the bottom. If something is not done about it Angola too may quickly slide into state failure and collapse. An article by Khadija Sharife published by Democracy in Africa examines the situation. Here is an excerpt:

The struggle of a mother living in a Luandan slum is one that requires all her might, each day, just to keep her child alive. 

With insufficient clean water, sanitation or electricity, virus-borne diseases like cholera are everyday realities from which there is no escaping. 

Some 50% of Angolan children under five are anaemic, more than a third are estimated to be stunted, and nearly one-fifth are underweight, noted a World Bank blog last year. This isn’t just a natural and inherent feature of life in Angola – it is the product of kleptocracy.

Find the full article here.