MORE shocking revelations have emerged over violence in Mudzi District where 23 people were said to have been killed since 2000, with ZANU-PF Mudzi North lawmaker, Newton Kachepa, being implicated in some of the deaths.

The revelations come at a time when a Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) ward chairperson for the district, Cephas Magura was allegedly murdered by ZANU-PF members, six of whom are behind bars, with co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone imploring police to also arrest Kachepa and ZANU-PF Mudzi West Member of Parliament Acqualina Katsande who were implicated in the violence.

During a debate on the matter last week, Parliament was told that villagers in Mudzi were now being forced to contribute US$2 per household towards the bail of the people who were arrested for the murder case.

In one contribution, MDC-T Mbare lawmaker Piniel Denga who is also the party's Mashonaland East provincial chairperson said Kachepa was also implicated in the murder of a policeman, Kingswell Muteta at Chimukoko business centre, weeks after the June 2008 presidential election run-off.

The business centre is also the crime scene in Magura's case.

The ZANU-PF Mudzi North lawmaker was also implicated in the death of one Peter Butau at Vhombozi in the same district, among other acts of inciting violence.

Kachepa was in Parliament when the allegations were levelled against him, and he did not respond.

"Some of these violent acts involved Members of Parliament who are also sitting in this House. It is being alleged that Hon. Newton Kachepa force marched people to one of his meetings, where he denounced one of the MDC supporters at that meeting. He said in his own words, "Pasi naBibiyana", of which Bibiyana was present at that meeting," said Denga.

"At one of the meetings that we held with Hon. Kachepa as the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, he apologised to that lady for he was very sorry about the incident. It is also being alleged that on July 17, just after the run-off, the Hon. Member was also involved in the murder of a Zimbabwe Republic Police Officer, Kingswell Muteta at Chimukoko business centre where the murder of Cephas Magura also happened."

Denga said some of the cases were reported to the police and, as in Magura's murder, the MP was not arrested. Another MDC lawmaker, Margaret Matienga, the MDC-T's Sunningdale lawmaker, said during the constitutional outreach exercise held in Mudzi district, MPs were surprised that villagers were afraid to contribute.

Matienga said at one meeting lawmakers asked the villagers why they were afraid and one woman summoned her guts and said the ZANU-PF lawmaker had ordered them not to cooperate with the Constitutional Select Committee.

"Kachepa was pointed out straight during his presence and there was no dilly dallying because these people said he had addressed them during the evening telling them not to cooperate with the constitution making process. Hon. Kachepa is in the habit of inciting violence wherever he is," said Matienga.

She said she wondered if President Robert Mugabe was aware of what was happening in Mudzi.