US imposes GLOMAG sanctions on Zimbabwe’s president and first lady for corruption
The United States has designated Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife, together with nine other individuals and three entities under the Global Magnitsky (‘GLOMAG’) sanctions ‘for their connection to corruption or serious human rights abuses.’
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) said 4 March, that first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi were among those sanctioned.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the new listings came concurrently with an executive order that terminated the Zimbabwe sanctions program that had been in effect since 2003. ‘These designations are part of a stronger, more targeted sanctions policy towards Zimbabwe the United States is implementing.’
The transition to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Program ‘emphasizes the U.S. commitment to promoting accountability for corrupt and abusive networks restricting the political rights and economic resources of the people of Zimbabwe,’ Treasury said, 4 March.
‘Today we are refocusing our sanctions on clear and specific targets: President Mnangagwa’s criminal network of government officials and businesspeople who are most responsible for corruption or human rights abuse against the people of Zimbabwe,’ commented Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said, ‘Actions to retire the previous sanctions program and designate key actors under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program are part of an ongoing effort to ensure we are promoting accountability for serious human rights abuse and corruption in a targeted and strategic manner.’
Last year, an Al Jazeera investigation found Zimbabwe’s government was using smuggling gangs to sell gold worth hundreds of millions of dollars, helping to mitigate the impact of sanctions and making gold the main export.
