"Sanctions Rarely Achieve Their Stated Purpose," US ECONOMIST

World-renowned economist, Prof. Steve Hanke@steve_hanke has claimed that sanctions seldom achieve the stated purpose. His remarks come after the United States has added Zimbabwe’s State Security Minister, Owen Ncube to the sanctions list for involvement in human rights abuses.

He was sanctioned barely hours after the nation marched against sanctions imposed on the country by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom over alleged Human Rights abuses.

Responding to a twitter post by Mike Pompeo, the 70th U.S. Secretary of @StateDepartment, which announced that Ncube had been sanctioned, the American applied economist said:

#Zimbabwe’s State Security Minister Owen Ncube might be a thug, but #sanctions are no way to deliver justice. Sanctions provide strongmen, like @edmnangagwa, with a scapegoat, allowing them to dig in & become entrenched. Sanctions rarely achieve their stated purpose.

Pompeo had said:

Today, I publicly designated Owen Ncube for his involvement in a gross violation of #HumanRights in #Zimbabwe. State-sanctioned violence in Zimbabwe must end now and those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable.

The nation is divided over the issue of sanctions with others arguing that they are hurting a few individuals on the list whilst others claim that they have caused untold suffering to the general populace.

More: Professor Hanke

"Sanctions Rarely Achieve Their Stated Purpose," US ECONOMIST

Tags