Entitlement - The New Economic Crisis

Pinch, slap, kick me awake, PLEASE! Am I dreaming when I read headlines like: 'R170m Zuma home revamp'? Can it be true that amid never-ending reminders of a credit crunch, a financial crisis, another slump in the markets, economic dire straits, pick one any one, that our esteemed president sees it fit to blow OUR money on a new sauna and steam room for one his official residences? Such rhetorical questions would be wasted on the powers that run and ruin the country. They'd shrug and smile, all the while thinking up clumsy sound bytes and awkward prevarications as they reach deep into their expense accounts. Many believe Zuma is entitled to such lavishness... along with his numerous wives, children and sycophants. Funny thing about this heavy air of self-entitlement polluting the country, how it keeps cropping up more often SA politics, it seems to be the sole reason, more often than not, government can't keep with even the most basic service delivery targets.
JZ's spokesperson played the politics game perfectly when she explained it wasn't him who authorised hundreds of millions of OUR money be used to upgrade and refurbish his official residences and a parliamentary village. 'No, the president never gets involved in renovations' Zanele Mngadi blustered in justifying the expenditure. Of course he wouldn't get involved! Is tiling, replastering and woodwork mentioned anywhere in his CV? So, the obvious solution to explaining away how and why OUR cash is plowed back into ensuring JZ can now go for a sauna and his many wives have their own bathrooms, the buck is passed to Public Works Minister (cue drum roll and bated breath) who is none other than Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, she of the impeccable track record when it comes to spending on headquarters, homes and other assorted dwellings (except RDP homes. That pesky government initiative is left to Tokyo Sexwale). Her spokesperson wasn't on hand to explain the R400 million price tag for revamping the president's homes. No surprises there.
God forbid our leaders stay in normal homes. It's unthinkable to even ponder them having to rough it in a middle-class neighbourhood, in a single-storey home, stripped of saunas and pools.
I hear there's now mention of a new plane which may need to be bought to ferry JZ and his deputy around the world. I know Kgalema Motlanthe's has a rather unlucky run when it comes to air travel of late, but can't he and the retinues of self-entitled government lackeys settle for travelling using airlines? Motlanthe did it once and even survived the airline food. 'Preposterous!' I already hear the powers-that-be saying among themselves at such outlandish suggestions. If they had to scrimp and save like the rest of us, what would become of their hallowed and ever-mysterious Ministerial Handbook, that Bible of blundering justifications, that idiot's guide to burning money and never caring. It would be pure lunacy to think politicians are just like us.