The bail conditions set for diamond researcher Farai Maguwu have been relaxed, coinciding with his appointment to a top diamond monitoring position.

Maguwu will be heading the recently formed "Local Focal Point" group of civic society organisations, tasked with monitoring the human rights standards of the diamond industry. The group is set to support the monitoring work of the international trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process, which recently certified Zimbabwe's Chiadzwa diamonds as 'conflict free'.

The Local Focal Point will be "instrumental in promoting dialogue and engagement amongst civil society, business and the government on the socio-economic matters affecting our nation as we jointly work together to build a stronger Zimbabwe." This is according to the National Association of NGOs (NANGO), which will effectively be housing the Local Focal Point group.

Maguwu's is the Director of the Centre for Research and Development which has been instrumental in exposing the human rights abuses at the Chiadzwa diamond fields. It is this work that landed him in police detention for more than five weeks in June, and he still faces charges of disseminating information "deemed prejudicial to the state." He was only released on bail as a condition required by international diamond authorities, before they would give Zimbabwe a green light to sell the Chiadzwa diamonds on the international market.

Maguwu was released on strict bail conditions, but these conditions have finally been relaxed this week. Maguwu's lawyers Tinoziva Bere told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that his client will finally be able to resume his civic work, explaining how "the previous conditions he was living under were like a jail term." Maguwu is no longer confined to within 40kms of Mutare, and his daily reporting to the police has been relaxed to a weekly requirement.

Bere said that Maguwu is "delighted" with the decision, but "he remains sobered that he is still facing all sorts of allegations." Bere added that "only when the charges are dropped will his work be unfettered, but that might still be a while in happening."