GOVERNMENT yesterday summoned the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols over the placement on sanctions of Zimbabwe’s Ambassador-designate to Tanzania, Anselem Sanyatwe and his wife, Ms Chido Machona on allegations that the former violated human rights.

Ambassador Sanyatwe is a former Commander of the Presidential Guard.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Mr Shepherd Gwenzi said the Ministry’s permanent secretary Ambassador James Manzou met Ambassador Nichols yesterday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on 2 August 2019 summoned the Ambassador of the United States of America to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Brian Nichols. He met the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador James Manzou and the purpose of the summons was to express displeasure of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe over the public designation of His Excellency Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Anselem Sanyatwe, currently Zimbabwe’s Ambassador-designate to the United Republic of Tanzania and former commander of the Zimbabwe National Army’s presidential Guard Brigade, by the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo under section 7031(c) FY 2019, Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programme, Appropriations Act (Div.F.P.I.116.6), allegedly for gross violations of human rights related to the August 1, 2018 post-election incident,” he said.State media