Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham detained for more than 500 days in Equatorial Guinea. Image: Ecr
(The Post News)- Two South African oil engineers, Frik Potgieter (54) and Peter Huxham (55), a dual South African and United Kingdom citizen, have been jailed for over 500 days in Equatorial Guinea. Both families describe this as trumped-up drug charges. In a shocking turn of events, the South African government is refusing to pay the “ransom” that the governance of Equatorial Guinea is demanding.
Families of the detained citizens and Pretoria believe that Huxham and Potgieter were unlawfully convicted and sentenced on fake trafficking charges and drug possession to retaliate on the Western Cape High Court that ordered seizure of two luxurious villas and a super yacht owned by Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Equatorial Guinea’s vice president.
“Essentially the demand is for a ransom to be paid for the freedom of Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham,” said Zane Dangor, the director-general of international relations. Families of the detained turn to parliament to help facilitate their release. Supra Mahumapelo, the chairperson of Parliament’s International Relations Committee, expressed that he understands the predicament of the two South African oil engineers who have been imprisoned since February 9, 2023.
Dangor told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation last Wednesday that “South Africa would not pay the demanded ransom reason being it could not act outside the bounds of what is legally available to us; the United Kingdom government agrees because one of the detained is a dual UK-SA citizen.”
Pretoria issued a diplomatic protest to Librada Ela Asumu, Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador to Pretoria, calling on her to express matters about the continuation of detaining the two men. Nolufefe Dwabayo, South Africa’s ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, also visited the country’s foreign minister in Malabo to voice out similar concerns.
As the public awaits developments and the situation continues to unfold, the South African government stands firm in its position, prioritising the dignity and safety of its people while refusing to be coerced by demands made by Equatorial Guinea.
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