South African engineers released from Equatorial Guinea prison

Mail & Guardian

5 days ago

Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were jailed for more than two years after Vice-president Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue's assets were seized in Cape Town
South African engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, detained for more than two years on what their families have long called 'trumped-up' charges, arrived home on Saturday night after receiving a presidential pardon from Equatorial Guinea.
The men landed at Lanseria Airport, where International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola welcomed them and phoned President Cyril Ramaphosa so that he could speak to them.
Their release marks the end of an ordeal that began
Huxham, a dual British-South African citizen, and Potgieter, a South African, had been working in Equatorial Guinea for more than a decade on oil and gas vessels for Dutch company SBM Offshore. They were about to fly home after a five‑week contract when they were detained and charged with drug trafficking.
According to the families, no credible evidence or witness testimony was presented during their June 2023 trial. The men were handed 12-year prison sentences and ordered to pay $5 million each in damages, despite their sealed, combination-locked luggage was only opened by authorities five days after their arrest.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention intervened in July 2024, issuing a formal opinion declaring the men's detention 'illegal and arbitrary' and calling for their immediate release.
Arbitrary detention is a violation of international human rights guarantees, including the right to liberty and security of a person as set out in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
While imprisoned in Mongomo, a facility reserved for political prisoners, their physical and mental health deteriorated. While they were still incarcerated, family spokesperson Shaun Murphy said Potgieter had a sleep apnoea machine but needed parts for it and, although they had received medication it had run out and more had to be sent through SBM Offshore, which sells systems and services to the offshore oil and gas industry, or the consulate.
Huxham and Potgieter had last seen their families in December 2022 and were granted only five brief phone calls while in prison.
Their families launched an international campaign for their release, making emotional pleas for clemency and urging the South African government to intervene. In response, international diplomats, parliamentarians and organisations such as Hostage International added their voices to the call for the men's release.
The families thanked those who worked behind the scenes, including SBM Offshore, the South African and British governments, international diplomatic partners, legal teams and civil society organisations.
They specifically thanked former International Relations and Cooperation Minister
'We are overwhelmed with relief and joy. The last two years and four months have been unimaginably painful for both of our families. Today, we are finally able to say: Frik and Peter are safely back home,' Murphy said.
'Their return home is the result of collective efforts over many, many months, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a role in securing their freedom.'
In a statement at the weekend, the international relations department said the government acknowledged the complexity of the matter, including its sensitive diplomatic and legal dimensions.
'The government of South Africa remains committed to strengthening bilateral relations with Equatorial Guinea and reaffirms its dedication to constructive engagement, mutual respect, and the resolution of challenges through diplomatic channels,' it said.