LONDON -- A Zimbabwean politician was stopped in London while trying to catch a flight to New York on Friday because members of the African country's ruling elite are barred from travelling in the European Union, British authorities said.

Joshua Malinga, a senior member of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF Party, was stopped at Gatwick Airport under the terms of an EU ban brought in as part of sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's government.

The sanctions were imposed after an election the EU considered illegitimate and over the forcible seizure of White-owned farms as part of a land redistribution scheme.

During Zimbabwe's elections in March, which returned Mugabe to power, the head of an EU team of election observers was thrown out of the country, Reuters reported.

It is understood Malinga is a former mayor of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and the scene of some of the worst election violence between government and opposition supporters during the election.

This week the EU added 52 more names to an original travel ban list of 20.

"A Zimbabwean national on the EU travel ban list has been refused transit at Gatwick," a British foreign office spokeswoman said.

"That requires EU members to take necessary measures to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories of individuals listed on the travel ban," she said, adding she believed he was en route to New York from Zimbabwe.

Malinga is disabled, officials said, but the nature of his disability was not immediately clear.

The home office, which is in charge of immigration matters, was not available to comment on what will happen to Malinga.