It has been more than nine months since Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were arrested on fabricated charges in Equatorial Guinea, with their families urging the South African government to step up efforts to ensure their safe return home in time for Christmas.

Spokesperson for the Huxham family, Francois Nigrini says government has not done much to secure the two engineers’ release from prison, despite a few productive meetings with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) in August.

He says the families have been unable to secure another meeting with Dirco since then and they are unaware of any progress being made in efforts to get the engineers back home.

Spokesperson for the Potgieter family, Shaun Murphy, explains the reason government needs to intervene is owing to it being an entirely political matter which can only be solved through a political solution.

He believes Potgieter and Huxham to be innocent bystanders who have been caught up in matters that have nothing to do with them.

Huxham, who was arrested on drug-related charges, made contact with his family for the first time in seven months in October.

Both engineers were working for SBM Offshore at the time of their arrest. Potgieter and Huxham maintained an impeccable professional record in the oil and gas industry, in Equatorial Guinea and in other countries, the families say.

Huxham and Potgieter attended a trial on June 26 before being found guilty of illegal drug trafficking on June 29. The court sentenced each of them to 12 years’ imprisonment in Equatorial Guinea.

Additionally, they were ordered to pay a R93.7-million penalty.

The matter is being appealed by the defendants’ lawyers.

There have been reports that the arrests of Huxham and Potgieter are linked to the seizure of a superyacht and luxury properties in Cape Town, owned by the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, who is the President’s son.

The superyacht was reportedly seized by the South African courts just days before the two men were arrested.

The families of both engineers maintain that successful bilateral engagement between the governments of South Africa and Equatorial Guinea is the only way to release the unlawfully convicted men.