Families of 2 SA engineers held in Equatorial Guinea for 500 days seek meeting with new minister Lamola

A United Nations body is calling for the immediate release of two South African engineers being held unlawfully in Equatorial Guinea.

Frik Potgieter (54) and Peter Huxham (55), have been held as 'state hostages' in the country since since 9 February 2023.

They were working for a global oil and gas company when they were arrested on allegedly fabricated drug charges.

The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a so-called Formal Opinion on Tuesday, that the detention of Potgieter and Huxham is arbitrary and illegal.

The pair were arrested just days after South Africa seized the luxury super yacht belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.

His two Cape Town villas were also seized.

A website and petition started by their families says the two men are caught in the diplomatic cross-fire between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea.

Family spokesperson Shaun Murphy says while the government of Equatorial Guinea might not be responsive to the UN decision, it does allow them a bit more flexibility in their approach to getting the men released.

"It does allow us a little bit more assertiveness in our approach through all the different channels that we have been pursuing over the last 17 months to up the ante, and place them under pressure and highlight this to the rest of the world."

Shaun Murphy, Family Spokesperson

In terms of the South African government, Murphy says they have been in contact with the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (Dirco), but 'it hasn't been enough, unfortunately'.

"Our priority now is to meet with the new Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola... to urge him, the department, and government to act with speed and determination to bring them home."

"We haven't had contact with either of the two in the last 90 days... From the last contact we had, we know that they've lost an incredible amount of weight."

"At the end of the day all we want to do is get Frik and Peter home so that they can start with their recovery process "

Shaun Murphy, Family Spokesperson