The US Treasury Tuesday banned any dealings with four loyalists of Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, including his Malaysian doctor and a Thai gem dealer, and froze their assets in the US.

“The Mugabe regime continues to resist the call of the Zimbabwean people to loosen its corrupt and violent hold on power,” said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury’s office of foreign assets control.

“The United States supports the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to achieve a political and economic system built on fairness and transparency rather than patronage and self-dealing.”

The Treasury statement also fingered two Zimbabwean businessmen involved in mining as well as tobacco trading, arms sales and trafficking.

The Treasury cited John Bredenkamp, a Mugabe insider, who through a network of companies has “financially propped up the regime and provided other support to a number of its high-ranking officials,” the statement said.
Malaysian urologist Mahmood Awang Kechik, said to be one of Mugabe’s personal physicians and business advisor, was accused by the Treasury of using his medical practice to hide shipments of medical equipment to Zimbabwe.

Thai businesswoman, Nalinee Joy Taveesin, who has completed a number of financial, real-estate and gem deals for Mugabe’s wife, Grace, also saw any assets in the US frozen.

“Ironically Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia, while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa’s most corrupt regimes,” the statement said.

The fourth person was named as Muller Conrad Rautenbach, also known as Billy Rautenbach, accused of giving logistical support to large-scale mining projects.

Under the Treasury designation, US companies and individuals are barred from having any financial dealings with the four people and any of their assets within US jurisdiction are frozen.

Zimbabwe, ruled by Mugabe for some 28 years, faces a massive food shortage, with nearly half of the population expected to need food aid in January.

The economy has been shattered by the world’s highest rate of inflation, last estimated at 231 million percent in July.