LONDON, United Kingdom – The United Kingdom on Tuesday removed from its sanctions list four Zimbabwean former security chiefs and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
Sanctions against businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, accused of industrial-scale corruption which collapsed the country’s currency, remain in place.
In a statement, the foreign office did not say why the sanctions were being lifted, but the listed individuals have all left their former positions.
Former police chief Godwin Matanga, former state security minister Owen Ncube, ex-spy chief Isaac Moyo and former army commander Anselem Sanyatwe have been delisted from the UK’s sanctions regime.
The lifting of sanctions against ZDI – the company responsible for procuring arms for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces – means the UK can resume selling spares for grounded military aircraft it sold to Zimbabwe decades ago.
The statement said: “The revocations follow a similar move from the European Union in February 2025, when they delisted their last remaining entity (ZDI) whilst renewing their existing Zimbabwe sanctions framework.
“The United States also removed a number of designations in March 2024.”
