Families of imprisoned South African engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham welcomed a unanimous motion from the South African Parliament demanding their release. The two have been detained in Equatorial Guinea since February 2023, allegedly as retaliation for the seizure of assets linked to the country’s Vice President. The resolution endorses an international condemnation of their detention as arbitrary and illegal, urging the South African government to take action.
The families of Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, two South African engineers held in Equatorial Guinea since February 9, 2023, expressed profound gratitude toward the South African Parliament after it passed a unanimous resolution on October 22, advocating for their immediate release. Potgieter and Huxham’s arrest is believed to be a retaliatory act related to the seizures of assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the President’s son, by South African courts. The resolution was proposed by Emma Powell of the Democratic Alliance and condemned the unlawful imprisonment while recognizing the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s July 1 assessment that labeled their detentions as arbitrary and illegal. Shaun Murphy, representing Potgieter’s family, remarked, “The imprisonment of these two innocent men by the Government of Equatorial Guinea is a direct violation of fundamental human rights.” Furthermore, Francois Nigrini, on behalf of the Huxham family, highlighted the widespread support for the release of the engineers, asserting that they were “innocent victims of being the wrong nationality, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.” The families hope that the South African government will leverage this support to expedite the engineers’ release, condemning the situation as a gross injustice akin to hostage diplomacy.
The situation regarding Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, two South African engineers imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea, has sparked significant national and international attention. Their detention, considered unjust by human rights advocates, is purported to be retaliatory action following legal actions taken by South African courts against assets owned by Equatorial Guinea’s high-ranking official. The South African Parliament’s recent resolution reflects an increasing demand from the public and political entities to address what is seen as a violation of international human rights laws, as supported by the UN Working Group’s findings.
In summation, the South African Parliament’s unanimous motion calling for the release of engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham represents a crucial step toward addressing their unjust imprisonment. The strong backing from both the families and the public indicates a critical need for the South African government to act decisively in securing their freedom, combating the misuse of diplomatic tensions as leverage for political gain.
Original Source: www.engineeringnews.co.za
