By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Frik Potgieter and dual UK-South African citizen Peter Huxham, oil engineers who had been imprisoned for more than two years in Equatorial Guinea, have finally returned home.
They arrived in Lanseria International Airport on Saturday after being pardoned by the President of Equatorial Guinea.
The two engineers, who worked for a Dutch oil and gas company SBM Offshore, were arrested at a hotel in the capital Malabo the night before they were due to return to South Africa after a five-week work rotation.
“This brings an end to an ordeal of anguish, uncertainty and unwavering efforts by many to secure their freedom,” said family spokespersons Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini.
“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,” said Murphy.
“This brings to an end a long painful ordeal one marked by anguish, uncertainty and tireless efforts by so many to secure their freedom.”
According to a declaration by the United Nations, Potgieter and Huxham had been unlawfully and arbitrarily detained in the west African country since 9 February 2023, following their conviction and sentencing to 12 years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a formal opinion stating that the men’s trial had been unfair and that their continued detention was “arbitrary and illegal”. It called for their immediate release, a call that went unheeded by Equatorial Guinea’s president, despite direct appeals from both the incumbent minister of international relations, Ronald Lamola, and his predecessor, Naledi Pandor.
Lamola said the government remained actively engaged through diplomatic channels to secure their release on humanitarian grounds.
“Throughout these sustained engagements, the government consistently appealed for clemency, highlighting the humanitarian aspects of the case and the profound impact on the families of the detained,” said Lamola.
“We extend our gratitude to the President of Equatorial Guinea. We also want to thank the families for their cooperation, including SBM, the company we worked with during this diplomatic engagement, with Equatorial Guinea.”
The families extended heartfelt thanks to all who supported them during the long campaign for release, including SBM Offshore, the men’s employer, the South African and UK governments, international diplomatic partners, parliamentarians, legal teams, Hostage International, civil society organisations and members of the media.
They also specifically thanked Pandor and Lamola, both of whom travelled to Equatorial Guinea as special envoys on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa.