The Insider, a local publication, has said that a private global intelligence company, Stratfor claimed that the US imposed sanctions on two Zimbabwean diamond companies, Marange and Mbada on 9 December 2011, to gain leverage on Mnangagwa. Stratfor reportedly said back then:
“The US move likely comes less out of concern over alleged human rights abuses in diamond mines in Zimbabwe’s Marange region and more as a way of gaining leverage over the government in Harare…
The US sanctions are designed to let ZANU-PF know that the West opposes Mnangagwa as the next Zimbabwean leader….
ZANU-PF must find a prospective leader who will both appease the West and guarantee the security and financial well-being of the elite….
The USA, however, claims that the sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe to force the country to foster democracy. The USA further claims that the sanctions are targeted on some individuals and their companies and not necessarily on Zimbabwe as a country.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF and SADC have observed that sanctions are affecting the ordinary man while some United Nations officials have said that sanctions can never be targeted as their impact overflows to an unintended population.
More: Insider