The United States Treasury has confirmed the removal of sanction imposed in 2003 through the publication of the final rule to remove the Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) issued the
final rule to remove the Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations from the Code of
Federal Regulations yesterday.
Last month, US President Joe Biden issued an executive
order repealing the first order issued in March 2003 which blocked property of
several political leaders in Zimbabwe for “undermining democratic processes or
institutions in Zimbabwe.”
Then US President George W Bush had determined that actions
and policies of certain members of the Zimbabwean government and others had
contributed to the breakdown of law in Zimbabwe.
The order also accused the government then led by the late
President Robert Mugabe of promoting politically-motivated violence and
intimidation in the country.
The order also noted that the Mugabe administration was
responsible for the political and economic instability in the southern African
region.
Bush said the government also “constituted an unusual and
extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States” before
declaring a national emergency to deal with the threat.
The restrictions were subsequently renewed over the years
until their removal this year.
In confirming, the US Treasury department said Ofac was
taking this action because the national emergency on which part 541 was based
was terminated by the president on March 4, 2024.
“The rule is currently available for public inspection with
the Federal Register and will take effect upon publication in the Federal
Register on April 17, 2024,” the department said.
Ofac last month designated 11 individuals, including
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and three entities for their
involvement in corruption or serious human rights abuse pursuant to executive
order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act.
Mnangagwa last month became the first sitting head of State
to be designated by the US under its Global Magnitsky Programme alongside wife
Auxillia and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.
Others are Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri, Midlands
Provincial Affairs minister Owen Ncube, Central Intelligence Organisation
deputy director Walter Tapfumaneyi, businessman Obey Chimuka and tycoon
Kudakwashe Tagwirei as well as his wife Sandra.
Sakunda and Fossil Group, companies that are linked to
Tagwirei and Chimuka, were also put on the new list. Newsday
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