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Isaac Moyo, Matanga, Sanyatwe, Ncube, ZDI removed from UK sanctions list
28 May 2025 at 10:42hrs | Views
The United Kingdom (UK) has officially removed former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) head Isaac Moyo, Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga, former army commander Anselem Sanyatwe, Minister of State for Midlands Owen Ncube, and Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) from its sanctions list. The announcement was made in a statement released Tuesday.
These individuals and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries had been subjected to sanctions due to alleged involvement in human rights abuses and other violations. Isaac Moyo led the CIO from 2017 until his departure earlier this year and was linked to operations involving intimidation, abduction, and assault of opposition figures, activists, and journalists.
Owen Ncube, a former CIO director and current Minister of State for Midlands, had been accused of orchestrating mining gang violence in the Midlands province, including attacks that led to the death of an opposition supporter in Kwekwe prior to the 2018 elections.
The UK government's statement said:
"The UK announces the delisting of sanctions against individuals Owen Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, Anselem Sanyatwe, and the entity Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI)."
It added that this move follows the European Union's (EU) February 2025 decision to delist ZDI while renewing its sanctions framework on Zimbabwe, and the United States' removal of several designations in March 2024.
ZDI had been blacklisted shortly after the late President Robert Mugabe expelled the EU observer mission ahead of the 2002 elections, with accusations that it provided arms used to oppress ordinary Zimbabweans.
The recent delisting is viewed as a significant diplomatic win for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has intensified efforts to improve relations with Western nations. Over the past years, the EU, UK, and US have gradually eased sanctions on Zimbabwean individuals and entities linked to corruption and human rights abuses, signaling a shift in international engagement with Zimbabwe.
The removals mark a milestone in Zimbabwe's ongoing push for renewed international cooperation and economic recovery.
These individuals and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries had been subjected to sanctions due to alleged involvement in human rights abuses and other violations. Isaac Moyo led the CIO from 2017 until his departure earlier this year and was linked to operations involving intimidation, abduction, and assault of opposition figures, activists, and journalists.
Owen Ncube, a former CIO director and current Minister of State for Midlands, had been accused of orchestrating mining gang violence in the Midlands province, including attacks that led to the death of an opposition supporter in Kwekwe prior to the 2018 elections.
The UK government's statement said:
"The UK announces the delisting of sanctions against individuals Owen Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, Anselem Sanyatwe, and the entity Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI)."
It added that this move follows the European Union's (EU) February 2025 decision to delist ZDI while renewing its sanctions framework on Zimbabwe, and the United States' removal of several designations in March 2024.
ZDI had been blacklisted shortly after the late President Robert Mugabe expelled the EU observer mission ahead of the 2002 elections, with accusations that it provided arms used to oppress ordinary Zimbabweans.
The recent delisting is viewed as a significant diplomatic win for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has intensified efforts to improve relations with Western nations. Over the past years, the EU, UK, and US have gradually eased sanctions on Zimbabwean individuals and entities linked to corruption and human rights abuses, signaling a shift in international engagement with Zimbabwe.
The removals mark a milestone in Zimbabwe's ongoing push for renewed international cooperation and economic recovery.
Source - NewZimbabwe
