MUTARE - Farai Maguwu Maguwu said his problems started after a meeting 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, alongside illegal gold-panning and the smuggling of diamonds without KP certification.
Maguwu said he was shocked to hear that the day after the meeting Chikanes emails and itinerary had been stolen, but believed he was set up by Chikane. Maguwu said he was being charged with giving Chikane a state security document, drafted by the army and was prejudicial to the State. I did not give Chikane anything, but in the conversation Chikane himself mentioned this document and asked me about the contents of the document, said Maguwu.
Little did I know that the meeting was to set me up so that Chikane could create a story out of the meeting, resulting in all these problems that we are facing now, emanating from a meeting that I had with one person and in close confidentiality.
In an interview with SW Radio, he accused the KP monitor of complicity with Zanu (PF), saying: He is part of the gravy train. 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. This is the latest in a series of attempts by the Zimbabwean authorities to intimidate human rights activists, and stop them from investigating and publicising ongoing abuses in the Marange diamond fields, said Bernard Taylor, executive director of Partnership Africa Canada.
Andrew Cranswick, the chief executive officer of African Consolidated Resources plc, is in hiding, afraid that he too will be arrested by the authorities. ACRs lawyers and a senior company executive, Ian Harris, have already been arrested on undisclosed charges. ACR is the company locked in the much-publicised legal battle over the ownership of the Chiadzwa Marange diamond field.
It is alleged that when Chikane took up his duties as KP monitor, he failed to listen to all stakeholders objectively. ACR was given no hearing and had to initiate a meeting to air their views. The Zimbabwean was shown a letter to Chikane to clarify ACRs concerns, but Chikane was reluctant to discuss Marange. The source also mentioned an incident in which Chikane scrambled to hide his face when some well-known Zanu (PF) members appeared in a public place.
Chikanes credibility is further compromised by his being the brother of Frank Chikane, who was closely linked to Thabo Mbekis pro-Zanu (PF) mediation mission to Zimbabwe during the global political agreement negotiations, said the source.
Frank Chikane is said to have facilitated a joint venture between Patrice Motsepes African Rainbow Minerals and Darwendale Platinum Project, whose owner is suspected to be Grace Mugabe but is fronted by Cross Global Hong Kongs Jack Hsieh.
Chikane is also related to Kagiso Chikane, who is named as the chief executive of African Renaissance Holdings, one of the mining companies with ties to Rich Rewards Limited in Mauritius. Rich Rewards is partly owned by Obert Mpofu and allegedly was a recipient of a US$1.25 million bribe in exchange for a joint venture application in the Marange deal.
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