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Anti-Zimbabwe MP asks why UK lifted sanctions on Ncube and Sanyatwe
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A prominent British legislator and long-time critic of Zimbabwe, Baroness Kate Hoey, has questioned the United Kingdom government over its recent decision to lift sanctions on four high-ranking Zimbabwean officials and one state-owned arms manufacturer.
The individuals - Owen "Mudha" Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, and Anselem Sanyatwe - along with Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI), were removed from the UK Sanctions List on May 27, 2025, triggering criticism from human rights advocates and political observers.
Responding in the House of Lords, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Lord Collins of Highbury explained that the sanctions were lifted because the individuals are no longer in the positions they held when the designations were first imposed in 2021.
"Sanctions are designed to target individuals in positions of power associated with human rights abuses and democratic backsliding," said Lord Collins. "These individuals have since left those posts — either through reassignment or retirement — which no longer justifies their listing under current UK sanctions policy."
Owen Ncube, once the feared Minister of State for National Security, is now serving as Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Midlands. Isaac Moyo has stepped down from his role as Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation, while Godwin Matanga, who was the national police commissioner, has retired.
Anselem Sanyatwe, who commanded the Presidential Guard during the deadly August 2018 post-election crackdown, has gone through a series of redeployments — from Ambassador to Tanzania, then to Zimbabwe National Army Commander, and now Minister of Sport.
The revocation follows similar decisions by other Western powers. Lord Collins noted that the European Union delisted ZDI, its last remaining Zimbabwe designation, in February 2025, while the United States significantly trimmed its sanctions list for Zimbabwe in March 2024.
Despite this trend, the decision has not gone down well with some UK lawmakers.
Baroness Hoey — a vocal supporter of democratic reforms in Zimbabwe - has insisted that the removal sends the wrong message at a time when the southern African country is still grappling with systemic repression, corruption, and impunity among state actors.
Critics argue that while titles and positions may have changed, accountability for past abuses has yet to be pursued in Zimbabwe, where many of the delisted individuals are still influential within ZANU PF and government structures.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have called on the UK government to ensure that the lifting of sanctions does not come at the expense of justice for victims of state violence in Zimbabwe.
The individuals - Owen "Mudha" Ncube, Isaac Moyo, Godwin Matanga, and Anselem Sanyatwe - along with Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI), were removed from the UK Sanctions List on May 27, 2025, triggering criticism from human rights advocates and political observers.
Responding in the House of Lords, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Lord Collins of Highbury explained that the sanctions were lifted because the individuals are no longer in the positions they held when the designations were first imposed in 2021.
"Sanctions are designed to target individuals in positions of power associated with human rights abuses and democratic backsliding," said Lord Collins. "These individuals have since left those posts — either through reassignment or retirement — which no longer justifies their listing under current UK sanctions policy."
Owen Ncube, once the feared Minister of State for National Security, is now serving as Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Midlands. Isaac Moyo has stepped down from his role as Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation, while Godwin Matanga, who was the national police commissioner, has retired.
The revocation follows similar decisions by other Western powers. Lord Collins noted that the European Union delisted ZDI, its last remaining Zimbabwe designation, in February 2025, while the United States significantly trimmed its sanctions list for Zimbabwe in March 2024.
Despite this trend, the decision has not gone down well with some UK lawmakers.
Baroness Hoey — a vocal supporter of democratic reforms in Zimbabwe - has insisted that the removal sends the wrong message at a time when the southern African country is still grappling with systemic repression, corruption, and impunity among state actors.
Critics argue that while titles and positions may have changed, accountability for past abuses has yet to be pursued in Zimbabwe, where many of the delisted individuals are still influential within ZANU PF and government structures.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have called on the UK government to ensure that the lifting of sanctions does not come at the expense of justice for victims of state violence in Zimbabwe.
Source - online
