Calls for Parliament to help South African engineers held hostage in Equatorial Guinea
Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham are in jail for what their families say are trumped-up drug charges, in retaliation for the seizure of South African assets of that country’s vice president.
FILE: South African engineers Frik and Peter have been detained in Equitorial Guinea. Picture: Free Frik and Peter/Facebook
Emma Powell (Democratic Alliance national spokesperson for international relations) joins John Maytham.
Listen below.
The latest development in the case of two South Africans being held unlawfully in Equatorial Guinea has seen the DA's Emma Powell taking the matter to Parliament.
The party's national spokesperson for international relations has penned a letter to the chairperson of Parliament’s International Relations Committee, Supra Mahumapelo.
She has requested Parliament invoke its powers to summon Minister Ronald Lamola to account to the committee concerning the efforts to secure the release of Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham.
In May, then DIRCO minister Naledi Pandor took up the matter when she travelled to Equatorial Guinea.
"The problem is there has been no feedback to the families from DIRCO, at least at a substantive level."
- Emma Powell, National spokesperson for international relations - DA
Powells adds that there has been very little consular assistance.
She says the families have been left in the dark.
"They've approached the United Nations and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued a formal opinion."
- Emma Powell, National spokesperson for international relations - DA
That opinion, says Powell, stated that the men's detention is arbitrary and illegal.
The UN has called for their release.
On Wednesday, the families of two South African engineers turned to Parliament to help facilitate their release.
Potgieter and Huxham, both in their 50s, have been imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea for more than 500 days.
Working as expats for a Dutch oil company, they were arrested a day before they were due to return to South Africa on a work break in February 2023.
ALSO READ: Free Frik and Peter: Families launch campaign for SAns held as ‘state hostages’
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