The fight for the release of Peter Huxham and Frik Potgieter, two South African engineers unjustly detained in Equatorial Guinea, took on a new dimension on June 24, 2024, in Johannesburg. The men’s families and supporters gathered outside the headquarters of the Pan-African Parliament to express their outrage and deliver a petition calling for their immediate release.
For more than 500 days, Peter Huxham, 55, and Frik Potgieter, 54, have been languishing behind bars, wrongly accused of drug trafficking. Their story is one of blatant injustice, of arbitrary detention that shatters lives, of loved ones fighting for truth and justice.
The families’ poignant testimonies reveal the pain and despair that has gripped them since the arrest of their loved ones. Kathy McConnachie, companion of Peter Huxham, cannot hold back her tears as she talks about the nightmare they live through on a daily basis. His story is moving, marked by the uncertainty and suffering of seeing his loved one in captivity, far from home, far from his family.
The injustice suffered by Peter and Frik is all the more evident when we discover the murky circumstances of their arrest. Two days before their arrest, property of the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea was seized in South Africa, casting doubt on the real motivations behind this affair. According to Shaun Murphy, spokesperson for the families, it was a set-up, a plot intended to silence innocent people.
The delivery of the petition to the President of the Pan-African Parliament marks a turning point in the fight for truth and freedom. The families are calling for solidarity and support from this institution to put pressure on the authorities of Equatorial Guinea and obtain the release of Peter and Frik. The initial silence of the Pan-African Parliament cannot remain unanswered for long in the face of such a just and urgent cause.
In the meantime, families and supporters will continue their fight with determination, aware that the truth will ultimately triumph. Their perseverance and courage are an example of resilience and dignity in the face of adversity. Peter and Frik deserve to regain their freedom, to return home to their loved ones, to finally turn the page on this dark injustice that holds them captive. Their story must be one of redemption, restored justice and triumphant solidarity.