The political sin of hotel life – a guide for dummies

By Fungayi Mukosera

With the current unnatural obsessions with hotel concierge service, expensive meals and special amenities, it is important to advise our politicians that these never amount to home services. It does not matter how obsessed with first class one is, the hotel can only classify you as a ‘guest’.

First of all, the record should be set out straight that living in a government purchased house by a former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is not synonymous to living in a government owned hotel.

The Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko was reported in the Herald drawing similarities between a hotel and the Former Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai’s government purchased house. Tsvangirai’s divergent political views to Zanu Pf does not quash his entitlement to post-employment benefits as a former senior government official.

As a moral obligation to people, a politician should be seen to be in touch with the people. After all, they have given the mandate in the first place; directly or indirectly. They should be able to draw clear parallels between the life choices of a Bob Dylan and the life choices a public servant. Zimbabwe is an impoverished country and as such politicians should at least empathise with those realities on the ground by making reasonable choices.

There is probably no explicit law that prohibits politicians from living in hotels. The absence of such laws however common sense prevails and in this case it shows that failure to check-out is one of the most openly outrageous ways of abuse of power. It is okay for a politician to check-in into a hotel but there has to be a check-out, hotels are not retirement homes.

Even though the amount paid for a hotel suite and a house are the same or even lower, it should never stand as justification for making a hotel a place of permanent residency. Sometimes it is not about the size of the bill paid but rather the principle that is considered when a politician is making a decision on a place to stay.

In the event of necessity, a politician should at least have credible reasons for long hotel stays. Being an appointed Vice President does not exempt one from being accountable to the public. As public servants, all politicians should be seen to understand that taxpayers money is not meant to pay for luxuries but only necessities.

There is no justification whatsoever in insisting that a hotel is a permanent necessity to live in. Wherever it is on earth, the standard for normal living is a house, the public purse should not be dedicated to luxuries.

Lastly, politicians should consider the immense benefits of checking out of hotels and teaching themselves and their wives to make their own beds and cook their own meals. That is the Zimbabwean way. It is forbidden to commit the public purse to financing cravings for a glamorous lifestyle and justify corrupt tendencies. That is the political way.