After identifying him as the person in charge of his father’s business interests tied to a businessman accused of corruption, the United States has put Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son to its list of those subject to sanctions.
Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr. received the corruption sanctions from President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday, just days before the US president was set to convene a significant conference of African leaders in Washington this week.
Four Zimbabweans and two businesses connected to well-known businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei and his Sakunda Holdings, both of which are already on the US sanctions list, were added to the list, according to the Treasury Department.
US sanctions on Zimbabwe prohibit Americans from doing business with the designated people and organisations and freeze any assets they may have in US territories.
The sanctions put in place against Zimbabwe more than 20 years ago due to alleged human rights violations, corruption, and electoral fraud target President Mnangagwa, a large number of other leading Zanu PF officials, as well as security officers.
According to Washington, the strengthening of the sanctions regime was done to “urge” the Zimbabwean government to modify its behavior.
“We urge the Zimbabwean government to take meaningful steps towards creating a peaceful, prosperous, and politically vibrant Zimbabwe and to address the root causes of many of Zimbabwe’s ills: corrupt elites and their abuse of the country’s institutions for their personal benefit,” the US Treasury said in a statement.
“The goal of sanctions is behavior change. Today’s actions demonstrate our support for a transparent and prosperous Zimbabwe.”
The US also added Mr. Tagwirei’s wife Sandra Mpunga and two business executives from firms connected to the affluent businessman, Nqobile Magwizi and Obey Chimuka.
Additionally, it named two businesses that are related to Mr. Tagwirei and Sakunda Holdings: Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting.
Since taking over from longtime leader Robert Mugabe after a military coup in 2017, President Mnangagwa has pushed for the lifting of Western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. However, the US maintains that the Harare administration is not doing enough to justify the lifting of the embargo.
The US removed numerous ministers from the Mugabe period from the list during the most recent assessment of sanctions.
In September, President Biden and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met in Washington to discuss lifting the sanctions on Zimbabwe, which he claimed were harming the southern African area.
President Ramaphosa claimed that the influx of economic migrants from Zimbabwe was overwhelming its neighbours, including South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, and claimed that Harare’s issues were brought on by the sanctions.
President Ramaphosa claimed that the influx of economic migrants from Zimbabwe was overwhelming its neighbours, including South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, and claimed that Harare’s issues were brought on by the sanctions.
The administration of President Mnangagwa claims that the West is using the embargo to forwards a regime change goal.
