The president of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa, first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, the vice president, Constantino Chiwenga, and eight other top officials were all subject to sanctions on Monday by the United States.
The 11 people and 3 organisations are accused of serious human rights violations and corruption by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Among other things, Mnangagwa is charged with sheltering smugglers of gold and diamonds operating in Zimbabwe, ordering government employees to assist in the selling of these commodities in black markets, and accepting payments in exchange for his services.
According to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, they are being singled out for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky initiative.
Following President Biden’s acceptance of a new Executive Order terminating the Zimbabwe sanctions programme, which had been in place since 2003, the United States is enforcing fresh sanctions towards Zimbabwe, which includes the designations.
On Monday, President Joe Biden also issued an executive order lifting the national emergency in Zimbabwe and lifting the sanctions imposed on the country. The administration is now able to impose the sanctions part of the executive order from the Trump administration that puts the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act into effect.
All of the above-mentioned designated individuals’ property and interests in property that are in the US or under the possession or control of US citizens are blocked as a result of these designations.
