The advent of democracy in South Africa has brought a revolution in citizens' interpretation of the mandate of the state. Extensive media coverage as well as commissions of enquiry on government's inability to deliver on its developmental mandate and several incompetent state institutions have led citizens to engage in violent protests. Seemingly, these incompetent state institutions have led to a weakened state, resulting in poor service delivery. The challenges of these institutions include service delivery protests, #feesmustfall campaigns, disgruntled citizens, allegations of state capture, and arbitrary changes in political leadership. These problems have a snowball efect and therefore cause state institutions to fail to deliver public goods. This article departs from an assumption that the vicissitude of ethical leadership can be addressed by identifying who is responsible for it and who is the most aefcted. This assump