2017-09-22Staff Report 2 Edgar Brandt Windhoek-United Stated President, Donald Trump, on Wednesday singled out Namibia’s healthcare system when he hosted a lunch for African leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York. During his welcoming address to numerous African leaders, including President Hage Geingob, attending the annual UN summit, Trump talked about the US’ continued partnership on critical health initiatives. “Uganda has made incredible strides in the battle against HIV/AIDS. In Guinea and Nigeria, you fought a horrifying Ebola outbreak. Namibia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient. My Secretary of Health and Human Services will be travelling to Africa to promote our Global Health Security Agenda,” Trump told the visiting leaders from across Africa. “In this room, I see partners for promoting prosperity and peace on a range of economic, humanitarian, and security issues. We hope to extend our economic partnerships with countries that are committed to self-reliance and to fostering opportunities for job creation in both Africa and the United States,” said Trump. He also lauded what he called Africa’s tremendous business potential, saying: “I have so many friends going to your countries, trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They’re spending a lot of money. But it does, it has a tremendous business potential and representing huge amounts of different markets. And for American firms it’s really become a place that they have to go, that they want to go.” Trump also talked about African investment in the America by noting that South African company, Sasol, is making a multi-billion dollar investment in the US. “We also hope that African firms, like the company, Sasol, consider making investments in the United States. Sasol, as an example, is building a US$9 billion petrochemical plant in Louisiana, which will bring new jobs to the state and, really, hardworking Americans will be manning those jobs,” said Trump. The US president concluded his remarks by congratulating African leaders on growing ‘very fast’ economically, particularly in light of ‘tremendous obstacles’ the continent has encountered. 2017-09-22Staff Report 2
