TINASHE MAKICHI
The United States has sanctioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally Kudakwashe Tagwirei, blocking his assets and prohibiting Americans from dealing with the businessman and his companies.
The sanctions were also slapped on Tagwirei’s Sakunda Holdings, a conglomerate with interest in agriculture, energy, infrastructure development and mining.
In a notice yesterday, US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also removed the late John Bredenkamp and his 30 companies from the Specially Designated Nationals list.
Tagwireyi is a member of President Mnangagwa’s Presidential advisory council and one of the biggest funders of the current government. It is widely believed that Tagwirei has strong ties to prominent politicians in the ruling ZANU PF as his company has been involved in government projects such as Command Agriculture Scheme.
Among his business interests, Tagwirei has been linked to Landela Investments, which is a sister company to commodity trading firm, Sotic International Ltd.
Sortic is a joint venture partner in the Russian-led Darwendale platinum mine project.
In October 2019, a statement issued by Great Dyke Investments (GDI), the company developing the mine announced that Landela and Afromet JSC now have equal 50% stakes in the project.
Afromet JSC is 100% owned by Russia’s investment and industrial group Vi Holding, which had spearheaded the Darwendale project since its inception in 2013.
Furthermore, in July 2019, it was reported that Tagwirei possibly held about 30% shares of one of Zimbabwe’s largest banks, CBZ Holdings through Akribosanother investment vehicle linked to him.
The businessman has also been accused of allegedly getting preferential treatment when the central bank was allocating foreign currency to fuel companies.
Tagwirei is credited for mobilising finance for the government’s Command Agriculture amid outcry from legislators the process has been murky.
OFAC administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States.
