Farai Maguwu, the director of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), was arrested on Thursday morning after he handed himself over to the police in Mutare.

The Chiadzwa diamonds researcher was forced into hiding after police raided his offices, his house and arrested and assaulted some of his relatives last week. The CRD has been exposing rights abuses in Chiadzwa, Marange.

In an exclusive interview with SW Radio Africa, before he turned himself in to the police, Magawu said he believed he was 'set up' by the Kimberley Process (KP) monitor Abbey Chikane.

The South African was appointed by the international diamond trade watchdog to monitor Zimbabwe to see if it had ended rights abuses in Chiadzwa, before it can be certified to sell diamonds.

But Maguwu said problems started for him after he met with the KP monitor last Tuesday. He said he had been assured that information discussed in the meeting was 'confidential'. In the meeting Maguwu told Chikane what his organisation had observed at the volatile diamond fields, where he said human rights abuses were continuing - including issues of illegal gold panning and the smuggling of diamonds without the KP certification.

The CRD Director said he was shocked to hear that the day after the meeting Chikane's emails and itinerary had been stolen. "I immediately felt insecure and the following morning a truckload full of men in suits pitched up at my home and they were armed to the teeth."

He said he sneaked out of the house through the window but 'they went on to beat my relatives at home and they took one of them into custody and they kept him in the police cells, beating him for about four days'.

"I felt insecure and felt they wanted to do a Ken Saro-Wiwa on me. So I went into hiding."

Maguwu said state agents were sleeping in his house and eating his food after they raided his house last week.

The outspoken activist says he believes he is being charged with giving Chikane a state security document which was drafted by the army and that it was prejudicial to the State."

"Little did I know that the meeting was to set me up so that Chikane can create a story out of the meeting and resulting in all these problems that we are facing now, emanating from a meeting that I had with one person and in close confidentiality."

He accused the KP monitor of complicity with ZANU PF saying 'he is part of the gravy train' and added; "There must be something that is going on behind the scenes between Abbey Chikane and the ZANU PF officials who are plundering Marange diamonds."

Maguwu continued: "Even if this case goes to court he (Chikane) is going to be a witness against me, and him being an interested party means he is now working to advance the interest of one party against the other."

The Centre for Research and Development is a member of the Kimberly Process Civil Society coalition and Maguwu was due to travel to Israel to present his organisation's findings on the situation at the diamond fields.

But Maguwu said: "And this setting up and all these nefarious allegations being levelled against me are simply meant to start a long legal battle that will keep me in the country and that will also paralyse the operations of our organisation. I think that was the intention of Chikane."

Well placed sources have said Chikane has admitted handing over the document to the authorities claiming he thought he was in possession of a 'stolen document' and that under the rules and regulations of Zimbabwe he had no choice but to hand it over.

Part of the KP monitor's brief is to investigate the militarisation of the Chiadzwa area. The 'leaked' document clearly details the fact that the military is still involved. An observer said; "So if this document provides evidence that this situation hasn't changed then this should have been a document of interest to him. Furthermore if Chikane is going to hand over documents which he thinks are sensitive, who will give him anything, because he has clearly shown that when he is uncertain he is going to side with the government and the so-called rule of law and not with people who are giving him testimonies."

Maguwu said some civic groups emailed Chikane, asking why the CRD director was being harassed after his confidential meeting with the KP monitor. "To the surprise of everyone he (Chikane) is very arrogant. He is saying I passed a State security document and he is saying that I knew that it was a crime to possess that document, so I am 100 percent responsible for the consequences," said Maguwu.

Mr Chikane's number was not reachable, but we will continue to try to get him for a comment.

He said: "Our fight for the rights of the people of Chiadzwa and our fight for transparency and accountability in Marange diamonds is a just cause. It is a cause for which I am very much prepared to suffer any consequences."

"Zimbabwe is for all Zimbabweans. It is not for a few privileged people, no matter how powerful they are, no matter whatever weapons at their disposal. We need to share the cake and everyone must benefit from the resources of this country and not (Mines Minister) Obert Mpofu and the military bosses to benefit and their families.

Maguwu's lawyer, Tinoziva Bere, said he accompanied the activist to Mutare Central Police Station in the morning, where he was immediately charged with alleged contravention of section 31 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. The police allege that Maguwu communicated or published information on Chiadzwa diamond field activities to the Kimberly Process monitor, which information is alleged to be false. Farai Maguwu denies the charges.

The lawyer said: "It's not clear when he will be brought to court. Normally it would be within 48hours but in this country anything is possible. The police explained to us that they are unable to release him to us even though he has voluntarily presented himself."

A statement by the Civil Society organisations, including Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, and Partnership Africa Canada said: "Civil society groups are calling upon Kimberley Process members to suspend the monitoring arrangement provided for under the November work plan, until Zimbabwean authorities give concrete assurances that people who provide information to the KP will not be persecuted and harassed by the state security agencies for their actions. Until this happens, and Zimbabwe complies with all Kimberley Process requirements, consumers cannot be confident of buying diamonds that are free from the taint of human rights abuses."

The full interview with Farai Maguwu will be aired on the Hot Seat programme on Friday.

By SW radio