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Nobleman Runyanga Correspondent
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently announced the designation of four Zimbabweans and two local companies to the sanctions list, a move which exposes its obsession with unseating President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF from power.
The US recently added the President son, Emmerson (Junior), businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s wife, Sandra Mpunga, businessman Obey Chimuka and Tatu Holdings owner Nqobile Magwizi to the sanctions list.
Also placed under the sanctions are Chimuka-owned Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting.
In August 2020, the US placed Tagwirei under sanctions on allegations of “materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Zimbabwe.”
What is ironic about the US’ increasing hostility towards Zimbabwe is that, its commitment to international unilateralism against the country comes at a time the African country is having commendable efforts aimed at international engagement and re-engagement.
The US would have the whole world believe that it is the paragon of upholding human rights, yet history is replete with cases of US tyranny and human rights abuses.
Its designation of Mpunga and Magwizi brings to the fore the US’ desperation, baseless anger and vindictiveness against innocent Zimbabweans who are doing their best to uplift their country which has been burdened by the yoke of illegal sanctions.
By so doing to the duo, the US has trampled on the very freedoms – the right to association which it espouses to protect. Talk of American double standards! The US propaganda machine is at loggerheads explaining the sanctioning of Mpunga – except the fact that she is Tagwirei’s wife.
While in Christian faith, the two are one flesh, legally, the two are not the same entity! One spouse cannot stand trial for the sins of the other in a court of law.
Although Magwizi is a businessman in his own right who runs Tatu Holdings which owns Tatu Advertising since around 2005, he is being sacrificed for having Sakunda Holdings as a client.
The US Treasury shamelessly claimed that he was sanctioned “for acting for and or on behalf of Sakunda Holdings” without providing tangible evidence to the baseless claim.
Mpunga’s case is similar to that of Mnangagwa junior who suffered for the fact that he is the President’s son. According to the US Treasury’s statement, he was “designated pursuant to executive order 13391 for being an immediate family member of the Zimbabwean President and OFAC-blocked Emmerson Mnangagwa.”
The Treasury tried to hide its evil-driven spite and ill-will towards President Mnangagwa by explaining that Emmerson Junior was targeted because he is “in charge of the President’s business interests related to Tagwirei” as if it is a crime or a sin to superintend over family business.
Chimuka suffered for being close to Tagwirei. According to the US government, “Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting were designated . . . for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe.”
In this regard, the US government violated his right to associating with an individual of his choice. Tagwirei is not a terrorist.
The US insists in its statement that its sanctions regime against Zimbabwe targets “human rights abusers and those who undermine democratic processes or facilitate corruption.”
Nothing is further from the truth. By targeting the Fossil group, the US government is targeting the over 3 000 people who are currently employed by the company. Given that on average a Zimbabwean employee supports about five people, it means that 15 000 innocent Zimbabwean have been targeted and sentenced to poverty by the US government.
In view of the deleterious effects of sanctions on the long term survival of private companies, the entities placed under the US punitive measures have been condemned to eventual closure.
This is why the Fossil Group is already mulling laying off 2 000 of its workforce in response to its placement under sanctions.
This means that over 10 000 Zimbabweans have been consigned to severe economic hardship. This demonstrates that, sanctions are not targeted at individuals but are meant to make Zimbabweans in general suffer.
If thousands of people who were surviving on Fossil companies are thrown onto the streets because of the punitive measures, then sanctions cease to be smart as the Americans and their local henchmen claim.
Fossil Contracting is one of the key players in the ongoing rehabilitation of the 584-kilometre Beitbridge-Harare highway. It is also part of the TEFOMA consortium of contractors that includes two others, Tensor Systems and Masimba Construction, which are constructing the Mbudzi Interchange at the junction of Chitungwiza, High Glen and Simon Mazorodze Roads in Harare.
The two items of infrastructure are important to the day-to-day lives of ordinary Zimbabweans who use these roads and the junction and have nothing to do with those companies and individuals that are under US sanctions.
In a surprise twist, individuals who are used and paid by the US to drive the false propaganda that Zimbabweans’ socio-economic woes are caused by corruption and not the illegal sanctions, are slowly coming to terms with the reality of the pain and gross inconvenience of the punitive measures imposed on innocent Zimbabweans.
Recently, anti-Government activist and opposition sympathiser, Hopewell Chin’ono condemned the sanctions in exasperation after OFAC barred him from accessing GoFundMe Campaign money raised for youths who were involved in a road traffic accident while returning from a voter registration trip.
It appears that the OFAC sanction enforcement and gatekeeping mechanism does not make a distinction between ordinary Zimbabweans and the US’s hatchet men like Chin’ono.
In February 2019, Richard Tsvangirai, the son of the former MDC-T leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai, was barred from opening a bank account in China by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC) citing the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
No bank anywhere in the world would wish to incur the wrath of OFAC.
Relatedly some students who are studying in various countries are experiencing challenges in getting their fees paid because Zimbabwe’s banking sector has lost most of its correspondent banks across the world.
According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Zimbabwe has lost at least 102 correspondent banking relationships over the last 10 years because of the risk associated with defying OFAC.
What is apparent is that, the US and other Western countries have pumped unquantifiable financial resources into local opposition and civil society sector in the hope of using them to unseat Zanu PF.
Unfortunately this has failed dismally. Both Tsvangirai and his successor, Nelson Chamisa failed to unseat Zanu PF from power at the dictate of the West, leaving the US desperate and sanctioning everyone it wills.
Much to the chagrin of the US and CCC, the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa and his team have managed to rebuild the country using local resources.
The CCC is faced with a major election dilemma as it is going into an election in 2023 without a constitution, an ideology nor structures on the ground to push its voter mobilisation campaign. It has nothing to lure the electorate with.
The opposition CCC messed up the 28 urban areas where it has enjoyed a modicum of support over the past two decades. The opposition divided and unprepared for the 2023 general elections.
This means that Zanu PF already has an upper hand before the election season has even begun. Under President Mnangagwa’s “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo (A country’s development should be driven by its citizens)” developmental philosophy, a lot of infrastructural projects have been undertaken, all which appeal to the electorate.
The US and the CCC are not happy with this. The targeting of Tagwirei, Sakunda Holdings, and the Fossil Group for sanctioning should be viewed with all this in mind.
What is apparent is that the US is targeting for sanctions those individuals and entities that it deems as playing a facilitation role in the ongoing infrastructural development in Zimbabwe to reduce Zanu PF’s advantage over CCC ahead of 2023.
The US is frustrated that, despite the sanctions, Zimbabwe is developing. The country’s economy, though not out of the woods yet, is on the right path and soon the country will achieve an upper middle income economy status.
The Western power is targeting the individuals and companies that are working with Government to make this possible.
In the words of the former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Chester Crocker, on 13 June 2000, the US’ main sanctions objective was “to separate the Zimbabwean people from Zanu PF” through making Zimbabwe’s “economy scream,”
However, Zimbabwe has defied all the odds and is still standing even after decades of sanctions.
Zanu PF is still in power much to the US’ frustration and anger. If anything is screaming, it is the CCC, which is on the brink of a major split due to internal ructions.
Zimbabweans and their leaders have demonstrated to the world that with resolve, commitment and political grit it is possible to not only survive the enemy’s determined assault, but to chalk some economic development.
It has done so, not only for five or 10 years but for the past 22 years under sanctions. Progressive Zimbabweans should not be moved by the US’ angry sabre-ratting.
Other sanctioned countries like Cuba have survived the US sanctions onslaught for over 60 years and Zimbabwe can do it too!
Progressive Zimbabweans should use the 2023 harmonised general elections to finish off the CCC, the US ally on home soil, which already is tittering on the brink of the precipice of collapse.
The sanctioning of fellow Zimbabweans should not be a source of despair! But should provide the necessary spurt of political energy to bury the CCC and its handlers to the political dustbins of oblivion!
Online Reporter