ZANU PF yesterday accused the United States of shutting the door for engagement after its members were barred from gate-crashing a Press conference where US embassy officials were explaining the new sanctions regime.
NewsDay witnessed members of the shadowy Citizens Against
Economic Sanctions with ruling party links being barred from attending the
presser.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and 13 other individuals, who
include his wife First Lady, Auxillia, were on Monday targeted with fresh
sanctions under the Global Magnitsky (GloMag) sanctions programme.
They were sanctioned for corruption and human rights
violations. The GloMag programme revokes the Zimbabwe-specific sanctions
programme in place since 2003.
Also sanctioned under the new programme is Vice-President
Constantino Chiwenga and Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri.
Central Intelligence Organisation deputy director Walter
Tapfumaneyi, businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, his wife Sandra Mpunga,
businessman Obey Chimuka, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, deputy
police commissioner Stephen Mutamba and Midlands minister Owen Ncube are also
on the list.
Tagwirei’s Sakunda Holdings, which the US Treasury said has
facilitated State corruption, as well as Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting are
also targeted.
Yesterday, US Embassy officials held a presser in Harare to
explain the new sanctions regime, but Zanu PF officials were not amused after
they were barred from attending the Press conference.
Zanu PF director of information and publicity, Farai
Marapira, yesterday told NewsDay that they were not happy that their members
were barred from attending the presser.
“Our people were blocked from attending the Sanctions press
conference,” Marapra said.
“We had to ask some inside people who had Press cards to
attend the event. This shows that they are not ready for engagement and answer
difficult questions.
“We will be guided whether there is any willingness to
change or it’s just an attempt to sanitise an already existing regime of
illegal sanctions which they have no right under international law to be placed
in Zimbabwe in the first place.”
During the presser, US embassy ChargĂ© d’Affaires, Laurence
Socha said the United States is committed to upholding core values of respect
for human rights and responsible, transparent governance.
“The United States is committed to ensuring our sanctions
are timely, relevant and targeted against individuals responsible for
corruption and serious human rights abuses,” Socha said.
“In Zimbabwe, we continue to witness gross abuses of
political, economic and human rights. The targeting of civil society and severe
restrictions on political and human rights [is] a major concern for the United
States.”
Socha reaffirmed the US’s commitment to working with the
people of Zimbabwe.
He urged the government to take concrete steps to be more
open and democratic, including addressing corruption.
Socha said the US will continuously make regular
adjustments to the sanctions programme, including adding and removing
individuals based on available evidence.
“US sanctions are not intended to be permanent. Our
sanctions are most effective when they are up to date and reflect realities on
the ground and that’s why we made the change at this time,” he explained,
indicating that the US policy has not changed its focus of supporting the
citizens of Zimbabwe and its democratic institutions.
“US sanctions are not intended to be permanent. One of the
primary goals of US sanctions is to bring about positive changes in behaviuor
and that might take time,” he said, while calling on the government, especially
the targeted individuals, to take concrete steps toward democratic reforms.
“We hope that business and financial institutions and
investors have a new look at Zimbabwe’s markets and connections with its
people.
“We see this as an opening for a constructive relationship
between the people of the United States and Zimbabwe so that all 16 million
people here have opportunities,” Socha added. Newsday
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