Zanu PF describes US sanctions on Mnangagwa’s son as “barbaric conduct”
Zanu-PF director for information Tafadzwa Mugwadi has described the move by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sanction President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son and tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s allies as “barbaric conduct that falls below diplomatic bar”.
The US government on Monday announced that it had decided to placed under sanctions, Tagwirei’s wife, Sandra Mpunga, Nqobile Magwizi, and Obey Chimuka, and two companies controlled by Chimuka, Fossil Agro and Fossil Contracting, for their involvement with Sakunda.
Tagwirei and his company Sakunda Holdings have already been sanctioned by both the United Kingdom (UK) and US for aiding the Zanu-PF regime in undermining democracy and promoting corruption in Zimbabwe.
But Mugwadi, posting on his Twitter handle, blasted the Washington administration for the latest move that he described as “barbaric”.
“What the @ US Dept of State has done is an act of cowardice and undoubtedly barbaric conduct that falls below diplomatic bar.
“It clearly reflects a demented super power that has gone rogue, now aiming on non-assuming global citizens like Emmerson Jnr, a Chimuka and an unknown housewife,” said Mugwadi.
“Anyway, needless to remind them that President Mnangagwa has reminded us that with or without sanctions, nyika inovaka navene vayo (a country is built by its owners).”
The US government said Tagwirei has been granted favourable State contracts and special access to hard currency, and “in turn… 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 US dollars,” it said.
A recent report by the Sentry titled “Shadows and Shell Games: Uncovering an Offshore Business Empire in Zimbabwe”, revealed key details of Tagwirei’s business dealings alleging that he presides over a sprawling network of more than 40 companies spanning the oil, mining, banking, logistics, transportation, and import/export, which have been linked to alleged corrupt activities and state capture.
