Petition launched for release of “Playboy Teddy’s” hostages

The families of two SA engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea have launched an online campaign.

Published on:

13 Jun 2024, 9:12 am

The families of two South African engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea since February 2023 have launched an online campaign for their release. Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were arrested on fabricated drug charges after South Africa seized assets from Equatorial Guinea's Vice President. They are believed to be political hostages.

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By Chris Steyn

The families of two South African engineers who have been "unlawfully held as state hostages" in Equatorial Guinea since 9 February 2023, have launched an online petition, website and social media campaign to share their story and demand their urgent release.

Frik Potgieter (54) and Peter Huxham (55) are believed to be "caught in the political crossfire" between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea.

The two were working for a global oil and gas company when they were arrested on "fabricated" drug charges just two days after South Africa seized the luxury super yacht belonging to EG Vice President, Teodore Nguema Obiang Mangue (known as Teddy). Earlier, South Africa had also seized the Vice-President's two luxury Cape Town villas.

His assets were seized following a court ruling in South Africa on a separate matter, unrelated to the two men. Even though the super yacht has been released, the villas remain impounded in South Africa, and they remain in prison.

Their partners spoke to BizNews about their harrowing ordeal in this interview:

Playboy Teddy's SA "hostages" in Equatorial Guinea

Shaun Murphy, the spokesperson for the Potgieter family, says: "There is no doubt that they are innocent, and no doubt that their arrests are aimed at forcing South Africa to release the Vice President's properties. This is clear from his outrage against South Africa on Twitter / X when Frik and Peter were arrested.

"The campaign is intended to call on all parties to assist in securing Frik and Peter's freedom, but most especially the assistance of the South African government, and also the UK government, as Peter is a dual citizen of that country. We were hopeful when Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation visited Equatorial Guinea on 5 May 2024 to plead for the men's release, but since then there has been no movement.

"No family should have to go through this nightmare of having their loved ones held hostage in a foreign prison or being used as political pawns. That's why we're uniting together through this campaign to show South Africa and our own government that our voices for bringing our family members home will never fall silent."

Frik and Peter's families believe their arrest and detentions are both arbitrary, under the UN's Human Rights law, and a violation of the UN Hostage Convention.

Meanwhile, an international team of experts has been working tirelessly to secure their release, and has submitted a case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), with its decision due any day.

"The reality is that given that this is a political dispute between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, only a political solution will secure their release. They must be brought home, and in order to do that, the families need the South African and UK governments to do all they can to get them released," says Francois Nigrini, spokesperson for the Huxham family.