Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned by the allegations made by Aviation Co-ordination Services (ACS) regarding obstruction by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), which, if true, place aviation security and South Africa’s global aviation reputation at serious risk. Minister Creecy must urgently intervene.
This as a result of a security incident at OR Tambo International Airport on 25 May 2025, in which deactivated training grenades were mistakenly cleared during screening. While ACS has taken internal disciplinary action, it maintains that the incident could have been avoided had ACSA not blocked vital equipment upgrades.
According to ACS, ACSA has repeatedly blocked the replacement of outdated hold baggage screening (HBS) equipment with newer, AI-enabled systems that could significantly reduce human error. ACS further alleges that ACSA’s obstruction has continued in defiance of three consecutive court orders handed down between November 2024 and May 2025.
The DA calls on the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, to urgently intervene and do the following:
- Ensure full compliance with High Court rulings and take steps against any unlawful conduct by ACSA executives.
- Appear before the Portfolio Committee on Transport, involving ACSA, ACS, and the Civil Aviation Authority, to account for governance failures and risks to passenger safety.
These institutional turf wars, legal defiance, and outdated infrastructure are not good for the security of our national airports.
The DA will continue to fight for accountable, lawful, and transparent governance in our state-owned entities especially where public safety is concerned
Regards
Dr Chris Hunsinger MP
DA Spokesperson on Transport