A police court in Zimbabwe’s city Bulawayo has sentenced a man to ten days imprisonment for using the toilet meant for President Mugabe, at a trade fair. The user of the high profile toilet was a policeman Alois Mabhunu, who was on duty at the international trade fair, when he suddenly needed to relive himself. Human rights lawyers pointed out that there was no law forbidding any individual from using a presidential toilet. Also the charge sheet did not specify any laws breached or grounds for compromising security.
The incident raises irrelevant but nonetheless interesting questions on how toilets of these VVIPs are maintained. Do they have personnel to openly or discretely ensure that none but the presidents use these toilets? Within their residences too, is there a clear list of the relatives who are eligible to use them and who aren’t?. Is there a mechanism to ensure that domestic staff stay away from using their privileged toilets?..
Consider the White House’ Oval Office. It should be obvious that the American President has an exclusive toilet for him. Yes, the President should be having his private space for sure. But the point here is the steps taken to ensure that this space is not breached. Are there any guidelines to ensure that none uses the president’s toilet even when he is not around? What if Mugabe has a meeting with Obama and wants to relive himself in the midst of a meeting. Would he be guided to the toilet which his counterpart and host used or would he be led to any other guest toilet?
It is a well known fact that powerful people have grand toilets. Many dictators are believed to have gold fixtures in their toilets. It is very tempting to learn about how such powerful people managed their toilets, they being men who ruled with an iron fist, and had their whim and fancy to the fore. In a world where over 2.5 million people live without a proper toilet, here are leaders who are bent on framing new toilet etiquettes.
Toilets are meant for easing the call of nature, which beckons every individual. Leaders who have a duty to relive the uneasiness of their countrymen, shouldn’t hesitate to share their toilets with fellow humans when nature calls upon them unexpectedly. Leaders should also not be weary of using public toilets at times. There have been instances of leaders world over, exhibiting their simplicity and identity with the commoners by traveling with them, eating with them; but there is hardly any instance of a leader using a public toilet. Leaders have a special status to help them discharge their duties, but for that, they shouldn’t expect a special status for their personal discharges too.
