Dar can make it without foreign aid

ANNE ROBI and AGENCIES

AS the 45th US President, Mr Donald Trump, took over the office on Friday, his inauguration has raised mixed reactions from across the world, with political and economic analysts in Tanzania urging that African countries should now struggle on their own to attain development.

In separate interviews with the ‘Sunday News,’ the local analysts said that Tanzania's economy will not be affected by the US new leadership because the country had already set its own development agenda.

Professor Haji Semboji, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), said that the new American president has said it all and it is now time for every country and its people to work hard for the development and stop depending on support from big nations such as US.

“No country can achieve development without struggling and working hard … Donald Trump has said that he will work only for the interests of Americans. In that case, Tanzanians should also work hard for the interest of their country,” he said.

He, however, said that Trump’s policies will not affect the country’s economic and political development since each country has its own development basis. Prof Semboja hinted that American people have no lasting friendship.

It was, hence, pointless for Tanzania to continue longing for their support on development. He said that America only provides support to other countries with its own interest and should not be made permanent supporter to needy countries.

“However big it is in the world, America like other countries, provides support to needy countries in order to fulfil their own interests … they give with expectations and not just giving -and even those who receive or the needy also receive with interests,” he noted.
On the other hand, Dr Benson Bana of UDSM, highly commended President Trump’s inaugural speech saying that it has outlined the values and interests of the US as a nation.
“First, let me admit that Mr Trump’s speech was excellent because it clearly determines the goodwill of focusing and valuing the American interests,” he said, adding that his speech corresponds to President Magufuli’s determination to build the Tanzanian economy.
He said that Tanzanian leaders and their people should now focus on how to attract American investors instead of thinking about receiving development support. “Trump is a business man and has said that his intention is to rebuild his country with an ‘American Hand.’
We also ought to do so by having big business people from America working with us in building our country,” he said. Other global responses to Friday’s power handover were diverse. There was caution in China, sorrow and anger in Mexico and cork-popping in
Moscow. Germany will need a new economic s
trategy geared toward Asia should the new US administration start a trade war with China, vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said, warning of a “rough ride” hours after Donald Trump was sworn in. “What we heard today were high nationalistic tones,” Gabriel said in an interview with the public broadcaster ZDF, in the first official German reaction to Trump’s inauguration.
“I think we have to prepare for a rough ride.” He added that Trump “was extremely serious” in his inauguration speech, which meant he would follow his promises on trade and other issues with actions. Europe and Germany must stand together “to defend our interests.”
As the US’s new president took to the stage in Washington, hundreds of anti- and pro-Trump protesters gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
Margaret Heidhues, of upstate New York, said she had not been able to stay at home to watch the inauguration. “I would have been repulsed beyond belief,” she said, holding a banner stating: “The People Voted for Hillary” on one side, and “Nasty Woman”, on the other side.