Opinions of Thursday, 4 March 2021

Columnist: Joel Savage

When will African leaders be given the same respect like leaders of the developed world?

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and some leaders Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and some leaders

Africans in the Diaspora used to say at work, “if your boss likes you, that doesn’t mean because you are black but the services you are rendering to him.” It's true about 90% of white people like black people not because of the colour.

Greed and the search for cheap labour led to the scramble for Africa, giving way to slavery, colonization, Apartheid, and crimes. The white man is always on the look for a certain race to exploit and they found one in the continent called Africa.

The reason among all the seven continents in the world, Africa has the saddest story to tell and an emotional song to sing. Fortunately, the bitter trials and tribulations have molded Africans to be one of the toughest creatures in the world.

Slavery, exploitation, colonization, and Apartheid didn't only take away the identity of the black man but also, affected him psychologically. Most Africans live in poverty and on the bread of sorrow yet, they are happier than the white man. It's even surprising to note that Africa has the lowest suicide rate compared to that of Europe and America.

The less respect and recognition given to the black man have also affected African leaders and what has made the situation worse is the continuous of African leaders depending on European and American leaders for food, money, and doing whatever they tell them, despite all the rich resources the continent has.

Most European and American leaders don't respect African leaders. They have to work with the African leaders because of the raw materials they need desperately from the African continent. European and American leaders meet at conferences and take photographs with African leaders but they underestimate them every day.

Despite the sad history of Africa, about 95% of Africans love white people. It's hard to describe what Africans have seen in white people that they like them in such a manner. As if they forget all the crimes the white man committed against them they welcome them in Africa without contempt or hate.

We all know that the Europeans and Americans love Africa because of our gold, diamond, silver, timber, etc, yet we don't drive them from Africa. If I haven't been to Europe, I wouldn't have known that Europeans or Americans don't like Africans the way we like them in Africa.\

Donald Trump

In America, Donald Trump is seen as a successful businessman but unlike other businessmen, he has never been to Africa before. After intensive research, nothing shows that he has been to any African country.

Even though it is not every white man who hasn't been to Africa before he is a racist but the utterances of Trump against African leaders prove he either hates Africa, African leaders, or a racist. He proved it in his business sector.


During his campaign before becoming president a lot was said about Trump’s racist attitude against blacks. At the beginning of his life before politics, he refused to employ and rent a house to black Americans. Even Hillary Clinton said the federal government sued Trump for housing discrimination.

After carefully analyzing the comments of Trump, the way he views Africa generally, and what Hillary Clinton said about him, on June 6, 2017, I wrote an article entitled TRUMP HAS NO TIME FOR AFRICA THIS IS A LESSON TO AFRICAN LEADERS.

Trump might be a racist but he has other reasons he doesn't like African leaders. He has never been satisfied with them and many times talks of corruption which rules effectively on the continent leaving the poor people jobless and hungry.

In one of his interviews about Africa, Trump was asked: “Why should we spend funds on Africa when we are suffering here in the US?” He said “That’s a very good question. Corruption, from petty bribes to high-level political graft, has a corrosive effect on public and private institutions across the African continent."

"Government officials continuously take from state coffers, siphon aid money to spend on lavish lifestyles, and yet the majority of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa are failing to address corruption, according to a 2015 Transparency International report."

"Critics of development aid to Africa have noted that it facilitates the growth of this vicious cycle of corruption, heightening the risk of conflict, increasing debt and inflation, and posing as an obstacle to foreign direct investment.”

"But the insidious effects of corruption affect the poorest of Africans most, who because of it are deprived of basic necessities like food, healthcare, education, and sanitation. This is where the role of American aid comes in, as a tool to promote and create openings for change."

Social Media Linkedn

On social media ‘LinkedIn,’ after posting the above-mentioned article, one called Michael Maris, made this comment: "Hi Joel, I just want to point out that Pres Clinton also turned down visits with African leaders."

"I was on a job back in the '90s during the height of the Rwanda - Burundi war with the President of Rwanda group for 3 days. Clinton wouldn't meet with them after they had high hopes of meeting him."

"They came all the way to DC for nothing. I even gave the translator for the group $35 so they could get McDonald's to eat as they said they did not have time to exchange their money. Hell, you would think Clinton after those people came all that way would have at least had a reception room with food for them."

"Wasn't too long after that both leaders got blown out of the sky going for peace talks."

This significant comment reveals and supports our opinion that like other American leaders, Trump indeed doesn’t like African or African leaders because they are corrupt and less effective.

And from every angle, it’s clear that African leaders will continue to get that share of humiliation, disrespect and at the hands of European and American leaders who feel superior.

What major plan do African leaders have to change the continent and rebuild their damaged reputation? What lessons can African learn from this humiliation and disrespect accorded to them to break free from Europe and America?

Africa has whatever it takes to make the continent greater than Europe, America, and China, in terms of the economy. If the continent is not rich, the Chinese, Europeans, and Americans wouldn't have any interest in that continent.

Solomon, the son of David, was a great successful king, yet he asked God for wisdom to govern His people. Therefore, if African leaders lack wisdom, they should ask God to rule and develop the continent because Africa is far behind in development even though history reveals that civilization began in Africa.