Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, two South African engineers, have returned to their homeland after enduring over two years of imprisonment in Equatorial Guinea. Their confinement, described by the United Nations as “arbitrary and illegal”, was reportedly in response to drug charges.
Potgieter and Huxham, both in their mid-50s, were apprehended in February 2023 following alleged discovery of drugs in their luggage. They received a 12-year prison sentence and were slapped with a hefty fine of $5m (£4m). However, a presidential pardon, following persistent efforts from their families and the South African government, led to their release.
The arrest of the engineers occurred shortly after luxury assets tied to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice-President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang, were seized in South Africa. These assets, including a yacht and two Cape Town villas, were confiscated as part of a court ruling.
The families of the men expressed a profound sense of relief following their release, saying, “The last two years and four months have been unimaginably painful for both of our families.”
At the time of their arrest, Potgieter and Huxham were employed by the Dutch oil and gas company, SBM, in Equatorial Guinea. They were detained on the eve of their scheduled return home after a five-week assignment in the country.
In an effort to secure their release, the families sought the intervention of the South African and UK governments, given Huxham’s dual citizenship. The South African Foreign Minister, Ronald Lamola, expressed gratitude to the Equatorial Guinea government for granting the presidential pardon that enabled the men to return home.
Last year, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a call for the release of the engineers, declaring their detention unlawful. The families of the detainees, however, maintain that the arrests were retaliatory measures following the seizure of assets owned by the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea, when approached for a comment, remained silent on the issue. Meanwhile, a South African official stated that the fate of the seized yacht and villas lies in the hands of the courts, and the government is unable to interfere.
This case raises significant questions about the misuse of power, political retaliation, and arbitrary detention. It also underlines the need for international accountability and the importance of upholding human rights, regardless of geopolitical borders.
