Nhau News Online News that is accurate, reliable, trustworthy!!
News Editor
The United States has slapped Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr, son to President Emmerson Mnangagwa with sanctions just a day ahead of the US-Africa Leaders Summit to be held in Washington, DC.
Zimbabwe was invited, however, President Mnangagwa will not be able to attend the summit starting Tuesday due to travel sanctions.
Three other Zimbabwean individuals and two Zimbabwean entities were also listed for punitive measures by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
These include Sandra Mpunga, wife to business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Nqobile Magwizi who served in various capacities at Sakunda Holdings and Obey Chimuka, CEO and director of Fossil Agro.
Entities placed on the department’s list are Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting, according to a press statement released Monday.
“The goal of sanctions is behaviour change. Today’s actions demonstrate our support for a transparent and prosperous Zimbabwe.”
“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,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury Brian E. Nelson.
“Today, OFAC designated Sandra Mpunga, Nqobile Magwizi, Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting, and Obey Chimuka, for their ties to the previously designated individual Kudakwashe Tagwirei and his company, Sakunda Holdings. OFAC designated Tagwirei in August 2020 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Zimbabwe; and Sakunda for being owned or controlled by Tagwirei. Tagwirei has utilised his relationships with high-level Zimbabwean officials to gain state contracts and receive favoured access to hard currency, including U.S. dollars.”
“In turn, Tagwirei has provided high priced items, such as expensive cars, to senior-level Zimbabwean government officials. Since former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s 2017 departure, Tagwirei used a combination of opaque business dealings and his ongoing relationship with President Mnangagwa to grow his business empire dramatically and rake in millions of U.S. dollars,” reads the statement.
Reasons Cited:
Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr
Emmerson Jr. is President Mnangagwa’s son and has been in charge of the President’s business interests related to Tagwirei. Mnangagwa, Jr. was designated pursuant to E.O. 13391 for being an immediate family member of the Zimbabwean President and OFAC-blocked Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Sandra Mpunga
Mpunga is Tagwirei’s wife. Together they created Sakunda, which is a neologism of Sandra and Tagwirei’s abbreviated first name, “Kuda”. Mpunga has served as the executive director of Sakunda and together with Tagwirei is the sole beneficial owner of the company. Mpunga was designated pursuant to E.O. 13469 for being the spouse of Tagwirei.
Nqobile Magwizi
Magwizi has served as the chief marketing and public relations officer of Sakunda as well as Mpunga’s executive assistant. In the spring of 2022, Magwizi was serving as a project coordinator for Sakunda. Nqobile Magwizi was designated pursuant to E.O. 13469 for acting for or behalf of Sakunda.
Obey Chimuka
Chimuka owns Fossil Contracting and is also its director and is the CEO and director of Fossil Agro. Chimuka is a longtime business partner of Tagwirei and is considered part of Tagwirei’s inner circle. Chimuka also sits on the board and serves as director of several of Tagwirei’s companies. Obey Chimuka was designated pursuant to E.O. 13469 for acting for or on behalf of Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting, and Tagwirei.
Fossil Agro
Fossil Agro has supplied the Government of Zimbabwe’s Command Agriculture Program, a state farm subsidy largely financed by Sakunda which has failed to account for billions of dollars in disbursements.
Fossil Contracting
The Government of Zimbabwe awarded Fossil Contracting nearly $40 million in contracts in 2021. Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting were designated pursuant to E.O. 13469 for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe.
Delisted Individuals
OFAC also removed 17 other Zimbabweans from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) citing that they no longer undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes and institutions or meet any of the other criteria for designation under OFAC’s Zimbabwe sanctions program.
These include Flora Bhuka, David Chaphika, Phineas Chihota, Chenhamo Chakezha Chen Chimutengwende, Abigail Damasane, Hellin Mushanyuri Gono, Aleck Rugare Ngidhi Gumbo, Gamuchirai Chinamasa, Ignatius Morgan Chombo, Kenneth Keparadza Mutiwekuziva, Levy Sibanda, Nicholas Tasunungurwa Goche, Andrew Langa, Jaison Max Kokerai Machaya, Rueben Marumahoko, Herbert Muchemwa Murewa and Ruth Chipo Murerwa.
According to OFAC, the Zimbabwe sanctions programme targets human rights abusers and those who undermine democratic processes or facilitate corruption.
The Treasury department emphasised that U.S. sanctions do not target the Zimbabwean people, the country of Zimbabwe, or Zimbabwe’s banking sector. Nhau/Indaba
