The United States has slapped financial sanctions against the son of Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and three other individuals for alleged corruption and abuse of state institutions for personal benefit.
In a statement late Monday, the US Department of the Treasury designated Emmerson Mnangagwa Junior, Sandra Mpunga, Nqobile Magwizi and Obey Chimuka for their ties to controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei and his company, Sakunda Holdings.
Mpunga is the wife of Tagwirei, a reclusive businessman who has leveraged his friendship with President Mnangagwa to haul in massive state contracts and gain favoured access to scarce foreign currency.
He is accused of providing lavish gifts such as expensive cars to curry favour with top Zimbabwean officials.
Mnangagwa Jnr is alleged to be his father’s proxy in his dealings with Tagwirei’s Sakunda Holdings, a company with tentacles across all of Zimbabwe’s economic sectors.
“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,” Under Secretary of the Treasury Brian Nelson said.
The US also put on the sanctions list Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting – two other companies owned by Tagwirei
Tagwirei and Sakunda Holdings are already on the US sanctions list. So is President Mnangagwa.
JN/APA