Groups aligned to ZANU PF have this week attempted to block diamond researcher Farai Maguwu's appointment to a top position monitoring the country's diamond industry.

Members of the Civil Society Coalition, made up of mainly ZANU PF aligned NGO groups, have decided to nominate Goodson Nguni of the Federation of NGOs, in place of Maguwu to the top job. The position was stipulated as part of the plan to bring Zimbabwe in-line with international trade standards. It will see an independent person, representing Zimbabwe's NGO society, assisting the monitor appointed by the Kimberley Process watchdog. That monitor, Abbey Chikane, is meant to oversee the efforts to reform the diamond industry to meet minimum trade standards, to pave the way for full international exports of the country's diamonds.

The National Association of NGOs (NANGO) on Tuesday announced that Maguwu would be this focal person, coordinating a Technical Committee of organisations actively involved in lobbying and advocacy work in mining. NANGO said this "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."

But Maguwu's appointment has since been "blocked" by the Civil Society Coalition who said Maguwu was unfit to lead the "Local Focal Point" group because he still faces criminal charges.

NANGO's Director of Programmes, Machinda Marongwe, said the Coalition was nothing more than "a strategically created group who have the interests of certain political parties at heart, in this case ZANU PF." Marongwe insisted that the Coalition was not even an officially recognised grouping, but was only created "to push their ZANU PF agenda." Marongwe said there was no legal basis for barring Maguwu from doing his work. He added however that the group was concerned by "these attempts to put partisan interests ahead of national interests."

Maguwu 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." His strict bail conditions were relaxed this week, but no date has been set for his trial.

Maguwu has accused the Kimberley Process monitor, Chikane, of instigating his arrest in June, saying Chikane "shopped" him to the police. The diamond researcher was detained shortly after a private meeting with Chikane, where he gave details of ongoing abuses at the diamond fields. Chikane's own credibility has since been questioned, and some observers have said he has more to gain by not having Maguwu's assistance during his "monitoring" activities.