By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE:The United States has sanctioned Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his wife and senior government officials for their alleged involvement in corruption and human rights abuses, Aljazeera reported on Tuesday.

It has been reported that, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions – targeting three(3) companies and eleven(11)people,including the Mnangagwas,Vice President Constantino Chiwenga,and retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi after a review of the sanctions programme that had been in place since 2003.

Aljazeera reported that,other than the people listed on Monday, Zimbabweans formerly under US sanctions will see restrictions lifted.

“The changes we are making today are intended to make clear what has always been true: our sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said as quoted by Aljazeera.

“We are refocusing our sanctions on clear and specific targets: President Mnangagwa’s criminal network of government officials and businesspeople who are most responsible for corruption or human rights abuse against the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mnangagwa is accused of protecting gold and diamond smugglers that operate in Zimbabwe and directing government officials to facilitate the sale of gold and diamonds in illicit markets and taking bribes in exchange for his services.

On another note, King Mswati who has been accused of human rights violations including the killing of human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko,might be next in the list of US sanctions.

This comes after the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed Resolution 174,that seeks to impose sanctions on human rights violators in eSwatini,the Resolution is highly expected to debated by the US Congress.