By Garikai Mafirakureva

THE opposition MDC Masvingo provincial executive yesterday said today’s anti-sanctions event should be used as an opportunity to mourn victims of State-sponsored brutality.

MDC Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Derrick Charamba, said they will be praying and mourning among others Tafadzwa Tamangani, a Harare vendor, who died at remand prison last week after he was brutally assaulted by police and denied treatment.

“As MDC Masvingo, we are happy the government has declared Friday (today) a national holiday, because that will give us time to meet and pray together with vendors. In fact, to us it is a national prayer and mourning day. Not only for the slain vendor, but for unarmed innocent civilians who were shot and killed on August 1, 2018,” Charamba said.

“We will also be mourning those who were killed in cold blood during the January fuel price hike demonstrations and all MDC cadres who were killed in the run-up to the June 27, 2008 election run-off, those who died in the wanton Gukurahundi genocide era, as well as those innocent people we lost during the 39 years of Zanu PF rule. So, it is obvious, we are not going to join people who will be marching against themselves.

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“That is why we chose to declare Friday a day of praying and mourning. After all, we are not on the list of those placed under targeted sanctions, so why team up with people fighting their own wars? The whole thing shows that Zanu PF has reached unprecedented levels of desperation.”

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial vice-chairperson Ailess Baloyi said the main event will be held at Mucheke Stadium, while districts would be marching in their respective areas.

“A lot of old people are willing to join in the march. They have been asking about it for more than two weeks now and I am confident the event will be a success,” Baloyi said.

“This time, we are not going to bus people because we will end up ferrying those who do not have the same thinking with us, although this event is for everyone. So those in all the seven districts will organise their own marches at district level, and obviously it will be on the same day.”