Little room for US negotiation
KESSLER Perumalsamy, 23, from Durban North: “I’m funded by the US federal government to study in the US. One of the things I am most concerned about is that a Trump presidency is inward looking and not outward looking as it has been for the past eight years, and even before then.
“The US has always firmly believed that forming good relations with other countries, even developing countries, is very important. The US has sponsored enormous amounts of money for students to study there and an example of this is Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (Yali) programme which allows students to study at the expense of the federal government and to receive leadership training.
“I’m certain the Yali programme will no longer exist; it was a brainchild of Obama and I’m sure under Trump it will be done away with. I’m concerned that funding for people like myself to study in the US will be diminished in the future.
“Many students make a huge impact in the countries they come from and they help the US with their relationships by simply studying there and learning the culture and being involved.
“In my view of the US, a fundamental value is that it doesn’t matter where you come from, or who you are, or if your parents are immigrants: what the US cares about is if you can make an impact on society.“Under Trump, the view of working hard and getting ahead seems to be diminishing. This is why I am afraid of immigration controls, particularly through the courts, where they uphold quite stringent executive and congressional measures which will limit immigration significantly and will make the ability to gain citizenship for people who have worked hard and been in the country for a long time harder.“Trade deals may now be harder. A Trump presidency may not have the same view on trade with Africa as Obama, even Bush. Agreements like Agoa and South Africa’s negotiation with it will be harder. It seems under Trump there will be little room for negotiation and that may also have an adverse affect on us.