Friday, March 29, 2024

Trump Tells African Leaders His Friends Go There To Get Rich

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Donald Trump thanks African leaders for making his friends rich

 

U.S. President Donald Trump was met with silence from African leaders Wednesday when he tried to congratulate them for the economic progress the continent has made.

“Africa has tremendous business potential. I’ve so many friends going to your countries, trying to get rich,” Trump told them at a luncheon Wednesday in New York, according to CNBC. “I congratulate you. They’re spending a lot of money,” he said.

Trump reportedly paused for laughter or applause, but none ensued.
The suggestion that wealthy Americans might be trying to enrich themselves in Africa would have been a sensitive one at the event, given that African labor and natural resources were subjected to centuries of European and American exploitation in the colonial era, including during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

“For American firms it’s really become a place that they have to go — that they want to go,” Trump continued, noting that six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa.

Most U.S. ambassadorships to African nations remain unfilled at this point, CNBC reports, even though all Obama-era appointees were recalled prior to Trump’s inauguration in January. This means that a majority of countries in Africa cannot conduct diplomacy with the U.S. through an ambassador.Trump also appeared to have referred to Namibia as “Nambia” in his speech, at one point saying that “Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient.” A transcript of the speech from the White House confirmed that Trump was indeed referring to Namibia.

Source:TIME

53 COMMENTS

  1. And there you have it ,the naked truth folks.I’m 100% sure one of the aforementioned friends sold Zambia Fire trucks at $1million a piece. Congratulations for continuing with dedication and commitment to make the West wealthier and even passionately defending them in Parliaments across Africa ( no its value for money,no they are investors,no they are creating jobs!)

    • Donald Trump is a great leader and under his Presidency the United States is seeing unprecedented growth in its economy! All the major indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial average have been making amazing gains, the US dollar continues to gain against all other major currencies, the US industrial sector continues to recover and the world as a whole is getting geared for the US infrastructure programme that has begun with nations such as Zambia set to benefit by exporting raw materials such as copper! God bless Donald Trump!

    • Some truth in Trump’ speech. Take the Chinese for example, they have taken over from selling in markets to big contracts in the mines and GRZ. Wake-up Zambians and get involved.

      God bless Zambia

    • 1.3 I wonder Zambias don’t go to other countries and exploit their resources. Even Congolese manage to make money in while we call them ba Kasai. We remain poor.

    • @Ichalo Lifupa. You can’t get involved if you’re not connected to someone powerful within the corridors of power. That’s the sad part. Instead of encouraging fair competition so that the government can start getting competitive prices for goods and services it buys, corruption is encouraged and as such prices for goods and services go up. That’s the main reason Africa will never develop.

    • Yes they do go to Africa to get rich, just because our leaders are stupid and selfish. He failed short to castigate them on corruption, dictatorship and love to staying in power for decades.

    • Do something about it and not just clapping with foreigners naimwe. We are being ripped off and we are celebrating like little children. Let us wake up and do something for ourselves

    • (CNN)President Donald Trump lavished praise on the health care system of Nambia during a speech at the United Nations. But there’s one little problem — there’s no such country.

    • @Nostradamus
      Tell me the truth, you are a friend to Donald Trump, you only to Africa to do business and get rich.. Just tell me the truth, is it the reason why drink only expensive tequila not cheap castle like Gerry nkombo

    • He just told you the truth. You think buying a Range Rover after stealing from the country makes you rich. They persons who sells you that Range Rover is getting richer my friend. Your Range Rover will de-value the moment you drive it out of the lot..Thanks Trump for being trustful.

  2. Trump is only saying it as it is, and it’s up to us Africans to work up and realise that we need to take control of our affairs. When are we ever going to realise that we have potential and that our resources belong to us?
    Teresa May and her foreign Secretary are back home today and it’s business as usual with Brexit and fixing the uk economy. Is our Zambian deligation on extended leave in the USA ? Apologies if they are already jetting out back to some serious business.

    • They are still shopping in Broadway..when they spend thousands of dollars in those New York high-end shops they think that’s being rich. But a white man knows that one is defined by where they come from and not what coat they put on their back. ‘A rich president of a very poor country’ will never gain you respect..

  3. its a waste of money sending some of these African leaders to the UN. Some of these leaders look at it as an opportunity to travel and do shopping or as an opportunity to take friends out, like one is going to cc night club in chawama forgetting their on international duty. Has the presidential plane become Zambia national airways.

  4. The fooools are clapping ignorantly forgetting that he is telling how they can be poor surrounded by richies and waiting for foreigners..

  5. For clarity 1 million dollars is 9 million six hundred thousand kwacha and non rebased currency 9 billion six fimo fimo just one truck. But assuming there was no corruption, is this surely normal mwebantu. Surprisingly it is even being defended.

  6. Very well spoken Mr. President Trump: Zambia is one of them where there are several minerals name them, and Chines are taking them away: Well spoken Leaders with power: Instead of we Zambians develop our country, we are even smiling in calling people from out side forgetting that money is going a way. We shall reap what we are sowing.

    • We are fooooling plain and simple. Our engineers don’t want to do dirty work. They want to put on suits and sit behind a computer all day. Chinese will do the work and become millionaires..

  7. Time for political correctness is over. Let us for once learn to be truthful; this is why Trump won the US Elections. He is not a politician, he speaks his mind and he says it as it is and right now he is going according to what he promised the people of America during campaign. That is why America is experiencing unprecedented economic growth with more jobs created in a very short period in office beating the record of 5 previous US presidents. Maybe we don’t need these politicians any more … God bless America! God bless Zambia!

    • Very true James very true, political correctness is what cost the career politicians in America the presidency! No matter what people say about Trumps etiquette or diplomacy..the man says it as it is and that is what people want. He has told us now that even the Americans not just the Chinese are here in Africa to get rich…elo ifwe tulebatamba fye. Big up Trump for your honesty explains the growth in the jobs Americans are seeing not aba ba chakolwa twakwata umuntu alaya namukutamba tu nachisungu ku Swaziland ati nine President..

    • @james,your comments sounds true but in actual sense not true,usa hasnt seen unprecedented economic growth under trump,infact its the opposite,what we have experience is the high stock markets and interest in some foreign companies to invest here,what you have alluded of 5 past president is the unemployemnt which is at 4.4% ,credit goes to obama who inherited unemplyement at 11% and left office when it was at 4.6%,revised labour report shows a decline in job creation under trump,eg 180,000 for may and august 109,000.check,uslabour.org site.

  8. About time we learnt how to spot bad governance and thieving traits and to be free to talk about it. We often hear people supporting useless individuals in this government who don’t bring anything of benefit to the poor majority. Lets vote for those with progressive political views stop voting for individuals just because they come from your compound or they are your friend. The country has gone to ruins with headless chickens running it who don’t care about the ones who voted them in .The poor are content when they are bribed with a bag of sugar and they fail to look at the bigger picture.

  9. Trump said NAMBIA, maybe he meant ZAMBIA. But our health system has NOT improved. Just visit UTH mortuary & count how many dead bodies are leaving for burial. it’s a national disaster.

    $42 million could have been put to good use instead of buying sub-standard fire trucks.

    I was in Europe for over 2 years. During that time, I only witnessed 1 funeral, that of an elderly woman.

  10. Are Trump`s friends part of the Brenthurst foundation that most Zambia Politicians are pre-occupied with? Are Trump`s friends the so-called Colonial Imperialist that everyone is bit.ching about? Now that Trump has told directly, it’s no longer a secret, therefore I would have expected ECL and Vuvuzelas here to stand up and say “NO” to Trump`s friends instead of their conspiration theories that they are occupied with.

  11. I hope Africans will be prudent enough to pick some of his observations than just clapping and laughing.
    Africans don’t know how much wealth is underneath the soil they walk on .
    Better we wake up and see how we can manage our resources, than just calling thieves to come and steal like what the Chinese are doing , just imagine all construction jobs are given to the Chinese almost in all African nations.
    Where are the African engineers , and designers do we really need Trump to tell us

  12. The truth pains and the truth shall set you free! Trump has laid it right at our door step…. We Africans Just love being poor…in Zambia it is worse cause not only do we love poverty but we are toooooooo corrupt, dull, and our thinking is very poor! am sure all the African Presidents foolishly and poorly clapped for Trump! Well spoken Trump !

  13. It’s sad to see people rejoice at the insults and mockery Trump is pouring on our leaders. What you must realize is that some of those leaders mean well for their people but same West do everything to frustrate their efforts. Nigeria has oil but has failed to realize the potential due to corruption. This corruption is perpetrated by the West through local people. China has made those big strides because it didn’t care about whatever the West stood for especially so called human rights. Oh yes human rights don’t matter when Americans bomb Yemen and kill innocent children, but matter when an African leader puts his foot down. Let’s check ourselves before we idolize this orange hair coloured man.

    • @Ndanje
      Which leaders when they can not even stand up and speak for themselves. Instead, Mr. Ndanje is standing up to defend them…..that is awful, don’t you think?
      “….West do everything to frustrate their efforts.”, garbage !!! and woke up!. The problem is you still think “colonial” when this is 2017. You have a bunch of clueless African leaders who are focused on themselves and how they can survive politically, and not knowing the priorities of their countries. Instead of acting, they only blame the West. What is your AU up to, what has it done for Africa? They were silent when Kaddaffi was being bombarded, now you have an influx of refugees to Europe, what are your leaders doing about it?

    • I’m surprised that you can react like this. This same trumpet has been called a barking dog the North Korea foreign minister after his undiplomatic outbursts at the UN. Why don’t you become an African president so that you can defend yourself.

    • @16.2 Ndanje khakis

      Ndanje, please give credit where credit is due. This is a TKO by Mr. Trump. He may be a “barking dog to North Korea,” but certainly not to Africa.

  14. So many postings in support of Donald Trump’s utterances, but the question is what are you yourselves doing about it? The problem with most you chaps on this blog is that you want Government to do everything for you, thats the biggest mistake and you shall d1e complaining.
    Take for instance, why not invest in fish farming and processing of Mukula tree so that you can export and stop being babies? Lets grow up for once!

    • Or challenge them to become president and show us what they can do. All you need is form a political party and file your nomination. No big deal.

  15. Trump is actually mocking us. In other words he is saying “you Africans are so foolish for allowing foreigners to get rich using your own resources”.

    • @ 19.1 Ndanje khakis:

      If I were, I long would have aspired to become Zambia’s next president. In Africa only the dumbest make it to the top. The smartest, if and when they do, stay there briefly, they rarely make a lasting impact. Levy Mwanawasa died in office. Nelson Mandela ruled for only one term, Patrice Lumumba – only three months! But look at Mobutu Sese Seko, Jean Bendel Bokasa, Omar Bongo Ondimba…. must I continue? The Lozis say: “LIBIZO LI SINYA MUNZI” – THE MERE MENTION OF ONE’S NAME MAY DESTROY A WHOLE VILLAGE! I rest my case.

    • @ 19.1 Ndanje khakis:

      But look even at our beloved, the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. How did he find himself at the top? It was through a backdoor, cleverly crafted by none other than Frederick Chiluba.

  16. The most absolute truth ever uttered by a Western leader. Mr. Trump is here calling a spade a spade. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves.

  17. I don’t see much of any thing wrong. His friends go all over the world to get rich even in China and Russia. Even Africans go all over the world to try and get rich. In Zambia, people move from one part of the country to another in an attempt to get rich. Though for an African it’s tough. Wherever you go they will look at your colour of skin and name. In some parts of Zambia, you would not amass a lot of wealth because you’ll be chased away/stoned to death or your business burnt to ashes that you don’t have the correct names or superstitions of worshiping satan as a means to get rich. Tribalism, racism, superstitions and low aspiratory goals are a major hindrance.

  18. Trump said the truth and i blame our leaders (both from a ruling party or opposition).whenever foreign firms cry loud about tax or high prices for electricity.we all see political leaders pancking and supporting those crooks.
    For those in Govnt,they never support local companies or businesses.all huge contracts are given to foreign firms who end up getting rich overnight and take our money to their countries-SHAME!!!
    SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD STOP VOTING FOR POLITICIANS AND MAYBE ALLOW JUST ONE CHIEF TO LEAD ZAMBIA BECAUSE POLITICIANS ARE ALL THE SAME!!WELL SAID MR TRUMP!!

    • We are stupid Africans, even worst Zambians, when a westerner comes for bisiness, he is received with respect yet you hardly know his back ground or his intentions but your fellow bother, a fellow zambian, whom you can even trace the village he comes from, comes with aspirations for office anti a tonga will never rule Zambia, he is hated based on tribe not withstanding his qualifications. A foreigner easily gets what he wants and runs away filthy rich. This is what Trump was referring at the stupidness of Africans.

  19. @njimbu, better for you brother, at least you eat the crumples that falls from your pf. Masters tables, seeing you are a committed die hard cadre, but what is life with fellow country men in shangombo or in some other remote areas of Zambia trying to live on $1 a day? Nevertheless you would not understand these things since you are bent on looking after your own belly to the detriment of your own country by supporting daylight thieves.

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