The chairperson of Parliament’s international relations committee, Supra Mahumapelo said he understands the plight the families of two South African engineers imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea for more than 500 days. Frederik Potgieter, a South African citizen and Peter Huxham, dual South African and United Kingdom citizen have been in jail following on what their families said has been trumped-up drug charges in retaliation for The duo were arrested in February last year in retaliation after South African courts ordered the seizure of a yacht and two luxury villas in Cape Town of Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. Difficulty The families of 54-year-old Potgieter and 55-year-old Huxham have turned to Parliament on Wednesday to help facilitate their release.
Mahumapelo said the committee understands the difficulty of the families. “We should work together to overcome the difficulty that some of your family members are facing.” The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Emma Powell said there has been “positive agreement” from the office of Minister Ronald Lamola to be summoned before the committee to account to South Africa about what his department is doing to secure the release of Potgieter and Huxham.
ALSO READ: UN demands immediate release of SA engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea Dirco action Powell also presented a petition that has been signed by more than 11 000 South Africans calling the men’s release. “What these families need i.