News24 | ‘Frik and Peter are safely back home’: SA engineers jailed in Equatorial Guinea freed

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola welcomes Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham back home, alongside their families.

• Two South African engineers have been released after spending more than two years in unlawful detention in Equatorial Guinea.
• Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were arrested in 2023 on drug-related charges.
• Their release comes after a pardon from the president of Equatorial Guinea.

After more than two years behind bars in Equatorial Guinea, Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham have been released and are back in South Africa.

The two engineers, who were detained on 9 February 2023, were given a presidential pardon by the president of Equatorial Guinea.

The two men were reunited with their families on Saturday, their families confirmed in a statement.

Potgieter and Huxham had been detained in Equatorial Guinea since 9 February 2023.

“Their release follows a pardon from the president of Equatorial Guinea, for which the families are extremely grateful. This brings an end to a harrowing ordeal of anguish, uncertainty, and unwavering efforts by many to secure their freedom,” their families said.

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“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 representatives Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini.

The two men were arrested at their hotel in the capital, Malabo on drug-related charges in 2023, and subsequently sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. The two, who met only after their arrests, had been on a work stint in the country.

In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that their imprisonment was arbitrary, unlawful, and in breach of multiple international human rights obligations. The UN called for their immediate release.

The families expressed their appreciation to everyone who worked behind the scenes trying to secure the men’s freedom, including Frik and Peter’s employer SBM Offshore, the South African and UK governments, parliamentarians, legal teams, Hostage International and other civil society organisations, and the media.

They are also grateful to former minister of international relations, Naledi Pandor, and the current minister, Ronald Lamola, who visited Equatorial Guinea as envoys for President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“Their return home is the result of collective efforts over many, many months, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a role in securing their freedom,” their families added.

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Welcoming the men’s release, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said: “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.

“Since their arrest, the South African government has remained actively engaged through diplomatic channels, including sending special envoys, to secure their release on humanitarian grounds.”

Lamola said:

He added that the coordinated collaboration between Dirco, the families of the two men, and their employer, SBM Offshore, also played a significant role in facilitating their release.

“The government of South Africa acknowledges the complexity of the matter, including its sensitive diplomatic and legal dimensions. It appreciated the government of Equatorial Guinea’s continued provision of consular access and the spirit of constructive diplomatic dialogue that has been maintained throughout this period,” added Lamola.