The opposition MDC-T has expressed joy at the extensions of sanctions against Zimbabwe by the United States under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA.)

The party’s U.S provincial chairman Den Moyo told journalists with the Voice Of America on Friday that his party is more than exited by the extension of the sanctions on Zimbabwe even after the removal of former President Robert Mugabe.

Moyo said that the coming in of incumbent President Emerson Mnangagwa was not justification that Zimbabwe has changed and deserving the removal of the sanctions.

“The US government has always been straightforward from the onset on the sanctions that it will only remove them when there is real change in Zimbabwe,” he said. ”

“As the MDC-T we are very happy that the U.S. government has realised that there is no such change which people have been claiming since the removal of Mugabe,” said Moyo.

Moyo said that the MDC-T is further excited by the U.S. government move as it is inline with the party’s electoral reforms demands.

“The U.S government requirements for the uplifting of sanctions is inline with the electoral reforms that we have been demanding for years and in that regard we will also only help in lobbying for the removal of the sanctions only when the reforms have been implemented,” said Moyo.

Moyo said that the ZANU PF government under Mnangagwa has continued restricting opposition parties from the state run airwaves which makes the run up to the elections uneven.

“Mnangagwa has said that he will only open up the airwaves after the elections and that will be a hopeless move as opposition parties would not have got the same opportunities to campaign as the ruling party,” he said.

The U.S government said that it will only remove sanctions on Zimbabwe only when free and fair elections are held in the country.

The world power stated that ZIDERA can only be relaxed if all opposition parties are provided with the voters roll prior the elections.

The US insisted that the Zimbabwe government must create a new independent electoral commission whose members will include people seconded by the opposition parties.

Zimbabwe was also told to make sure that members of the military are removed from campaigning for any of the political parties and be relegated to do their job in the barracks.

The US also implored that the Mnangagwa government must open up for international observers to monitor the Zimbabwean elections from the pre election period right up to post election period not only during election days.

Mnangagwa was also told to account for all persons that have gone missing at the hands of suspected state security. These include activists Patrick Nabayana, Paul Chizuze and Itai Dzamara.