Farai Maguwu

No other information was found on his Junior or High School education.

Service / Career

Maguwu is the founding Director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), an organization working on improved governance of natural resources in Zimbabwe. He has done extensive research and documentation on human rights abuses and illicit trade in diamonds in Zimbabwe. ^[1]

Farai Maguwu partnered with Human Rights Watch researchers to document beatings, torture, forced labour, and killings of local villagers in Marange at the hands of soldiers. ^[2]

Events

2010

On 27 May 2010, two days after Maguwu met with a monitor from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (the world’s diamond control body) to discuss the abuses he uncovered in Marange, Zimbabwean authorities raided his home and offices and arrested him on charges of providing false information about killings and torture by military officials at the mine. He was imprisoned for more than a month and denied medical care to punish him. The authorities then illegally transferred him to various police cells with deplorable conditions even though he suffered from a serious health condition. Maguwu was released in early July and only finally cleared of all charges in October. ^[2]

On 21 October 2010 charges were dropped against Mr Farai Maguwu. Harare Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti informed the court that Maguwu would not be placed on remand, but was free to go. Leading prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court that the state was no longer interested in pursuing the matter. ^[3]

2011

In 2011, Farai Maguwu was arrested, charged and detained for 40 days by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). ^[1]

On 10 October 2011, Farai Maguwu was detained by Zimbabwean officials at Harare International Airport. While detained Maguwu was subjected to questioning regarding his trip and his organisation's human rights activities, and his luggage was searched.

After being released Maguwu received numerous anonymous phone calls which were terminated each time he attempted to answer.

Maguwu said he observed an unknown man looking at him while he was waiting to pass from the immigration queue to the arrivals hall. At the immigration desk, the officer told Farai Maguwu that she was having difficulties scanning his passport, and she signaled the man who Maguwu had seen observing him, and who he believed was from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). Although the official waved Farai Maguwu through, more suspected CIO officials began to arrive in the arrivals hall.

After collecting his luggage, which had already been unloaded from the carousel, Farai Maguwu was stopped and asked to produce his passport by three plainclothes police officers. A fourth man then arrived and asked Farai Maguwu to follow him to a room in which six men had gathered, several of whom identified themselves as officials of the Criminal Investigation Department. The security officials searched Farai Maguwu's luggage and questioned him about his trip and the activities of CRD, before releasing him. On his way from the airport to Mutare, Magawu said he received anonymous calls which were terminated each time he attempted to answer. The calls continued throughout the night until the following morning. ^[3]

Awards & Honours

In November 2011 Human Rights Watch honoured Farai Maguwu with the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism. He was also honoured by Rapaport, a clean diamond campaigner, for protecting artisanal diamond miners in Zimbabwe’s Marange region. ^[1]

Further Reading

In July 2022, the Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) director Farai Maguwu said he received death threats from a Zanu PF member for exposing gold looting allegedly masterminded by some ruling party bigwigs. CNRG recently launched a 35-page report which claimed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally Scott Sakupwanya was at the centre of gold leakages and violence at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga. ^[4]

References