Read more
Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were detained for more than two years after being accused of drug trafficking.
South African engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham returned home on Saturday night after being detained in Equatorial Guinea for more than two years. Picture: X/@RonaldLamola
Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, the two South African engineers who spent more than two years in jail in Equatorial Guinea, have finally returned home.
According to their families, the men were able to return to South Africa after receiving a pardon from Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
‘Fabricated’ drug charges
Potgieter and Huxman had been detained since 9 February 2023 and were facing drug trafficking charges. They were arrested while working in the country for the company SBM Offshore.
The families had maintained that these charges were fabricated.
In July 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that the men’s imprisonment was unlawful and a breach of human rights.
ALSO READ: Families of SA engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea hopeful following Lamola’s visit
‘Frik and Peter safely back home’
“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 family spokespersons Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini.
The families thanked everyone who worked to secure Potgieter and Huxman’s release, including SBM Offshore, the South African and UK governments, civil society organisations and the media.
They also expressed gratitude to former Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor and the current Minister, Ronald Lamola.
ALSO READ: Families of SA engineers jailed in Equatorial Guinea turn to Parliament
Lamola thanks Equatorial Guinean government
Lamola was with the families when the two men landed back on South African soil.
“South Africa expresses its sincere gratitude to the government of Equatorial Guinea for considering and ultimately granting this presidential pardon, allowing Mr Huxham and Mr Potgieter to return home to their loved ones,” he said.
“The coordinated collaboration between the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the families of the two men, and their employer, SBM Offshore, also played a significant role in facilitating their release.”
The families claimed Potgieter and Huxham were arrested as a form of retaliation after South African courts ordered the seizure of a yacht and two luxury villas in Cape Town belonging to Equatorial Guinea Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
NOW READ: Engineers’ detainment in Equatorial Guinea sparks questions on government’s inaction
