Britain reiterates it has no sanctions on Zimbabwe

The British government yesterday said that it had no sanctions on Zimbabwe but on five individuals so these sanctions did not affect the country’s healthcare or energy sectors.

This was said by Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in response to a question from Navendu Mishra who wanted to know what the impact of UK sanctions had on Zimbabwe’s healthcare and energy security.

“The UK does not have economic sanctions on Zimbabwe,” Mitchell replied. “The UK has targeted sanctions on five Zimbabwean individuals to hold them to account for serious human rights violations and corruption. 

“These sanctions do not target, and specifically seek to avoid impact on, the wider economy and the people of Zimbabwe. Therefore we assess that UK sanctions do not impact the healthcare sector or energy security in Zimbabwe.”

The United States which has sanctions on Zimbabwe also claims that its sanctions are targetted but the United Nations said they were affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.

According to the UK list on Zimbabweans sanctions there are four individuals and one institution, the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.

The four individuals are: 

1. Intelligence boss Isaac Moyo 
2. Police chief Godwin Matanga 
3. Former security minister Owen Ncube, and 
4. Zimbabwe ambassador to Tanzania Anselem Sanyatwe.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to see Zimbabwe develop into an upper middle income country by 2030, with or without sanctions.

Q &A:

Navendu Mishra Opposition Whip (Commons): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of economic sanctions on (a) healthcare and (b) energy security in Zimbabwe.

Andrew Mitchell Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development): The UK does not have economic sanctions on Zimbabwe. The UK has targeted sanctions on five Zimbabwean individuals to hold them to account for serious human rights violations and corruption. These sanctions do not target, and specifically seek to avoid impact on, the wider economy and the people of Zimbabwe. Therefore we assess that UK sanctions do not impact the healthcare sector or energy security in Zimbabwe.

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