Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe served Zimbabwe as a military leader before becoming an ambassador to Tanzania. He comes from the Nyanga area and reached high ranks in the army. Back in August 2018, he commanded the Presidential Guard when soldiers shot six protesters during election result demonstrations. He later claimed his troops never fired at crowds, saying any gunshot victims must have been shot by someone else. When questioned about a kneeling soldier seen firing, Sanyatwe insisted the gun was aimed 45 degrees upward, not at people.
The US government put Sanyatwe and his wife on a sanctions list in July 2019. American officials stated they had solid information about his role in human rights abuses during the protest crackdown. The UK added similar sanctions against him in February 2021, banning him from travel and freezing his assets. British officials grouped him with three other Zimbabwe security leaders they blamed for killing 23 protesters. The UK sanctions specifically targeted these individuals rather than ordinary Zimbabwe citizens.
President Mnangagwa promoted Sanyatwe to Major General in December 2018. Just months later, in February 2019, Mnangagwa retired him from military service and made him an ambassador. This happened during Vice President Chiwenga's medical trip to India. By May 2019, Sanyatwe had officially left the army and moved into his diplomatic position. Brigadier-General Fidelis Mhonda took over his previous job leading the Presidential Guard.
Sanyatwe married Chido Sanyatwe in 2000, who later became a ZANU-PF member of parliament for Nyanga North after winning the election in July 2018. He made news in 2015 for political statements against Joice Mujuru during ZANU-PF party conflicts. He reportedly declared at that time that ZANU-PF would rule Zimbabwe forever. When questioned about these comments later, Sanyatwe denied making inflammatory statements, claiming military leaders speak differently than politicians at rallies.
The US government put Sanyatwe and his wife on a sanctions list in July 2019. American officials stated they had solid information about his role in human rights abuses during the protest crackdown. The UK added similar sanctions against him in February 2021, banning him from travel and freezing his assets. British officials grouped him with three other Zimbabwe security leaders they blamed for killing 23 protesters. The UK sanctions specifically targeted these individuals rather than ordinary Zimbabwe citizens.
President Mnangagwa promoted Sanyatwe to Major General in December 2018. Just months later, in February 2019, Mnangagwa retired him from military service and made him an ambassador. This happened during Vice President Chiwenga's medical trip to India. By May 2019, Sanyatwe had officially left the army and moved into his diplomatic position. Brigadier-General Fidelis Mhonda took over his previous job leading the Presidential Guard.
Sanyatwe married Chido Sanyatwe in 2000, who later became a ZANU-PF member of parliament for Nyanga North after winning the election in July 2018. He made news in 2015 for political statements against Joice Mujuru during ZANU-PF party conflicts. He reportedly declared at that time that ZANU-PF would rule Zimbabwe forever. When questioned about these comments later, Sanyatwe denied making inflammatory statements, claiming military leaders speak differently than politicians at rallies.
