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28 July 2008
By Brilliant Pongo
The South African newspaper The Times reports that delegates who are negotiating for an end to the political stalemate in Zimbabwe rejected the three-star accommodation that had been booked for them by their South African hosts and demanded five-star accommodation.
Analysts slammed the demands as embarrassing and insulting to the hosts, South Africa and the people of Zimbabwe. The country's economy has crumbled; and some argue it is such demands for luxuries and gluttonous behaviour displayed by its leaders that has fuelled the abuse of taxpayers’ money and killed the economy.
Millions of Zimbabweans are living in abject poverty and those negotiating in South Africa have come out more concerned about the luxury of their hotel accommodation than the more pressing business at hand, for which they had travelled for.
The Times reports that, ‘delegates to Zimbabwe’s power-sharing talks switched guesthouses in South Africa this week after tension arose because some had swankier rooms than others’.
‘The delegates — who include Zimbabwean justice minister Patrick Chinamasa and Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti — were also unhappy about their accommodation’s supposed lack of luxury’.
The SA government had booked the Zimbabweans a 160ha estate known as the Ingwenya Country Escape in Muldersdrift, about 45 minutes from Johannesburg. The talks aimed at resolving the Zimbabwe crisis are taking place in complete secrecy and it is reported that the SA government paid R750000 for total exclusivity of the venue until August 5, forcing the lodge’s management to cancel other reservations and planned conferences.
The childish play by these negotiators cost the South African taxpayer R750 000 that went up in smoke as a non-refundable fee for the rejected three-star accommodation. To meet the costs of the negotiators demand it is estimated that an additional R2 000 000 will be required for a five-star establishment at the last minute plus costs to clear out those already booked there if the desired total exclusivity originally planned for because of the nature of the talks is to be met.
The South Africans (taxpayer) will not take kindly to the actions of these spoilt Zimbabwean leaders who have already stretched the SA taxpayer who foots the bill for the deportation of illegal immigrants who cross over into South Africa in thousands by day and by night.
To think that the majority of Zimbabweans cannot even afford a descent meal and some go for days with no food and these negotiators are unhappy that the rooms did not have minibars is shameful and scandalous.
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