WASHINGTON DC — United States President Donald Trump wants to cut foreign assistance dollars to countries who don’t vote with the US at the United Nations (UN) — and South Africa and Zimbabwe are among these countries.
news24/sources
South Africa received about $258 million (R3,2 billion) in the 2017/18 year according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAid).
The vast majority of the funds are spent on health initiatives.
In Zimbabwe, USAid invests nearly $100 million annually, supporting a broad portfolio of health programmes.
Every year, the US State Department compiles a report on voting practices at the UN. The report is then given to the US Congress.
This report includes a comparison between the voting records of the US and other countries on UN General Assembly records.
The report was released last week and found that of the 93 resolutions that were voted on in 2017, on average, other countries only voted with the US 31% of the time.
According to a statement from the US State Department, this is a 10 percentage point drop from 2016, “but at a rate that is historically near average”.
“The American people pay 22% of the UN budget — more than the next three highest donor countries combined. In spite of this generosity, the rest of the UN voted with us only 31% of the time, a lower rate than in 2016,” US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said.
“That’s because we care more about being right than popular and are once again standing up for our interests and values. Either way, this is not an acceptable return on our investment.
“When we arrived at the UN last year, we said we would be taking names, and this list of voting records speaks for itself. President Trump wants to ensure that our foreign assistance dollars — the most generous in the world — always serve American interests, and we look forward to helping him see that the American people are no longer taken for granted,” Haley said.
According to the report, the country that voted the most often with the US was Israel, while Zimbabwe was the country that voted with the US the least.
The 10 countries with the highest voting coincidence with the US were Israel, Micronesia, Canada, Marshall Islands, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Palau, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
The 10 countries with the lowest voting coincidence with the US were Zimbabwe, Burundi, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Cuba, Bolivia and South Africa.
South Africa voted with the US on nine occasions and against it 68 times. Zimbabwe only voted with the US on six occasions and 69 times against.
Neil
You cannot fault the thinking, “Spend your buck where it has the most value”.
Eagle
only an idiot can give money to those who are against you
ho
Our guys are too proud. All what we want is bread and butter on our tables. A good Leader will create ways to get the easy currency that we all need that will create employment to our people as well. Generals think wisely.
SIMBA
MUGABE CHANGED THE CONSTITUTION TO COMMUNIST
ADOPT THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION
chipembere
It is high time we get rid of this aid thing as a tool of the US trying to buy influence around the world, keep your money, high time African countries start to be self sufficient
Sagitarr
Easier said than done.
Norman Mhonda
Which vote are we talking of here, is Zimbabwe a member of the security Council who can vote with the US
Farness
Very Fair
Meticulous Tumbleweed
Best thing that will ever happen to us. Might I be affected? Yes I might, but I think it would be good for us Zimbabweans if it can shock us into start solving our own problems such as health, creating our own wealth and not being wasteful with scarce foreign currency, exporting more than we import etc. Aid has proven to be the opium of countries like Zimbabwe.
Junta b
No need to beg em …. legalise cannabis farming already
Giribald Nyoni
Maybe the US should advocate for amendment of the UN procedural frameworks and come up with a clause that says do not vote against a donor. The kind of thinking being exhibited by the US is extremely flawed. A vote means its either you vote for or against, whilst the next best alternative is to abstain. If the word democracy has any relationship with voting, then this kind of thinking is two centuries behind. Now, if at all the US is footing 22% of the UN budget, what is that investment worth in terms of economic spin-offs generated to the host country as a result of UN business? The accommodation, transport, shopping sprees and anything else that is linked to delegates coming in and out all year round on UN related business….This is a lot of hot air and moreover..the vulnerable groups who are meant to benefit from the aid do not weild the voting decisions and they do not even know anything about it. If supposed acts of merciful benevolence are conditional to that extent, then its best to let the Creator decide on what to do with the souls he deposited on earth.
One-one
Comment…Of prime importance is that we dont vote with forces of darkness, govts with scant respect for their citizens.
taggy
Comment…Africans are not good in using money but they are good in stealing for their personal benefits, thats why chinese are flocking into africa. We are economically blind
taggy
Comment…Africans are not good in using money but they are good in stealing for their personal benefits, thats why chinese are flocking into africa. We are economically blind
Anonymous
We cannot rush to criticise the govt for voting against america without knowing what actually the agenda they will be voting for,maybe for example it will be legalisation of homosexuality which not embraced by many in our country
Mhofu
In Bible this is 666..Mark of the beast. Keep your money and we keep our Zimbo.
Kuwiriranakwakanakakugarakunzwanana Garanewakomurudohamandishe
Comment…JEHOVAH, ndinokutendayi, nekuti makati imi chete ndimi munoona nezve:
1.Kunaya kwemvura.
2.Kuvheneka kwezuva nemwedzi.
3.Mweya wekufema.
Dayi izvi zvakava mumaoko emunhu wenyama. Samasimba, dayi iri mhirizhonga bedzi nguva zhinji pasi rose.
Anonymous
They stole from Africa & still stealing,now they armtwist you.To hell with evil aid
klu
ma1. im sure from now onwards if it is sensible we will vote with the usa. i bet in times past it was just to oppose them, what with selfish rgm
widzo
Thats their democracy for you,you are not allowed to practise the right to choose from your own perception,donor money guides you in shackles.Shame.
desmond
Comment…mugabe would have told this bastard Trump to “fuck off,we will never vote with pple who are worse than dogs”..but with the way the current administration is so desperate for engagement and funding,they will soon embrace gay-ism..legalising mbanje was simply testing the waters,they legalise everything evil.. its also surprising S.A boasts of a good economy yet they are beggers relying on US aid