SA commits to reinforcing relations with E. Guinea despite unlawful arrest of citizens: Lamola

JOHANNESBURG - International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says South Africa remains committed to strengthening its bilateral relations with Equatorial Guinea, despite the recent unlawful detention of two South African citizens.

Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, who were on a working trip in the country, were arrested in February 2023 on what the South African government has described as fabricated drug trafficking charges.

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They were sentenced to 12 years in prison but received presidential pardons and returned home on Saturday.

Lamola says Pretoria has consistently appealed for their release through diplomatic channels, citing humanitarian grounds and the impact on the families of the detained.

"We convey our message of gratitude to the government of Equatorial Guinea. We also want to thank the family for cooperating with us, including SBM, the company that we have worked with on this diplomatic engagement with the government of Equatorial Guinea.

"There has been cooperation, and these cooperations represent what can be achieved as South Africans if we work together as a nation to build South Africa. And the two South Africans are also very excited. They’re very happy to be back home. They are glad to be in a constitutional democracy."