The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has expressed grave concern over the imprisonment of two South African nationals in Equatorial Guinea.

Dirco director-general, Zane Dangor, on Thursday said he was “disturbed” to learn of the sentence handed down to two locals, Peter Shane Huxham and Frederic Johannes Potgieter.

According to media reports, Huxham, originally from Langebaan outside Cape Town and Potgieter from George, were jailed for 12 years and fined more than R100m.

The two engineers were employed in the offshore oil and gas industry and insist they are innocent.

The department said the pair was arrested on February 9, 2023 at their hotel in Malabo while preparing to board their flight to South Africa the following day.

“They are employed on an oil rig off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and were coming off shift to rest and spend time with their families in South Africa.

“They made their first court appearance only on June 26, 2023, to receive the formal charges against them. They appeared in court again on June 30, 2023, for sentencing. The judgement was passed by a bench of five judges who found them guilty of ‘trafficking and illicit possession of drugs (cocaine)’,” the statement read.

Dangor, according to the department, expressed his dismay that the South African Embassy continues to be denied access to the detainees in violation of international law.

“The government of Equatorial Guinea has failed in its obligation to formally notify Dirco and grant consular access by the embassy officials to the two South African nationals.

“He emphasised that such access is expressly required by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, to which both states are parties despite numerous official requests in this regard.”

Dangor emphasised that the Equatorial Guinea government remains responsible for the welfare and safety of the South African citizens being held in their custody.

“He expressed his willingness to have more direct and constructive cooperation with the relevant authorities regarding this matter.”

Meanwhile, Dirco said it was ready and willing to advance bilateral relations with Equatorial Guinea.

“However, the continued denial of access to the two South African nationals in distress compromises the long-standing good bilateral relations between the two countries.”

Dangor has also expressed support to the families and friends of the detainees. – SAnews.gov.za