By Political Reporter- The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has lifted old sanctions on Zimbabwe while imposing a new embargo targeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and key inner circle members.
The recently lifted sanctions dated back to the administration of the late President Robert Mugabe in 2003, marking a shift in U.S. policy toward Zimbabwe.
Under the new sanctions, President Mnangagwa finds himself under renewed scrutiny, alongside his wife Auxillia, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Owen Ncube, Central Intelligence Organisation Deputy Director Walter Tapfumaneyi, businessman Obey Chimuka, and tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei, along with his wife Sandra.
Additionally, entities such as Sakunda Holdings, Fossil Agro, and Fossil Contracting, linked to Tagwirei and Chimuka, were included on the new sanctions list.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued the final rule on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, removing the Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations.
This action follows President Joe Biden’s executive order in February 2024, which repealed the initial order issued in March 2003.
The original order, enacted by then-President George W. Bush, had been consistently renewed until its recent revocation.
Bradley T. Smith, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, confirmed the rationale behind this decision, stating that the national emergency, upon which the previous sanctions were based, was terminated by the president on March 4, 2024. The rule is set to take effect upon publication in the Federal Register on April 17, 2024.
Notably, OFAC designated 11 Zimbabwean individuals, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, under its Global Magnitsky Program last month.
This marked a historic moment, as President Mnangagwa became the first sitting head of state to be designated by the U.S. under this program.
These designations were made in response to allegations of corruption and serious human rights abuses.
The imposition of these new sanctions underscores ongoing concerns regarding governance and human rights in Zimbabwe, signalling continued scrutiny from the international community.