RENOWNED United States economist Professor Steve Hanke this week labelled the addition of State Security minister Owen Ncube on the sanctions list as ‘futile’.
Registering his sentiments on Twitter, Hanke said the United States must learn that sanctions entrench the ‘bad guys’.
“Sanctions on Zimbabwe’s Owen Ncube are futile.
“For nearly 20 years, sanctions kept Robert Mugabe on the throne, shielding him from blame for the country’s collapse.
“When will the US learn that sanctions simply entrench the bad guys,” read the tweet.
Ncube was added on the sanctions list 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.
The announcement was made by United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“Today, I publicly designated Owen Ncube for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights in Zimbabwe.
“State-sanctioned violence in Zimbabwe must end now and those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable.
Hanke is of the view that sanctions are unjust and rarely achieve their intended purposes.
“Zimbabwe’s State Security Minister Owen Ncube might be a thug, but sanctions are no way to deliver justice.
“Sanctions provide strongmen, like Mnangagwa (Emmerson), with a scapegoat, allowing them to dig in and become entrenched. Sanctions rarely achieve their stated purpose,” he further submitted.
European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen and US foreign relations committee chair Senator Jim Risch maintained that sanctions will remain in place until political reforms and key issues are addressed.
