Airports operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) are subjected to a three-tier security audit, which takes place internally, nationally and internationally. Internally, every airport has standards compliance officer who monitors security compliance and coordination by the various airport stakeholders on an on-going basis. A full internal audit is conducted twice a year to verify compliance.
Nationally, the South Africa Civil Aviation (SACAA) conducts scheduled and ad hoc audits of compliance with aviation security standards at all ACSA’s 10 airports. Internationally, the US-based Transportation Security Administration (formerly Federal Aviation Authority) and companies also conduct audits.
All these audits relate to all aspects of security in terms of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommendations.
To facilitate and direct coordination, ACSA has a Local Airports Security Committee that meets monthly at each airport to review security in detail. Anything not resolved at airport level is taken for discussion to the National Aviation Security Committee, which meets once a quarter. This committee has direct access to Government Ministers and is chaired by the Commissioner of Civil Aviation. It consists of high-level representatives from the SA Police Service and other role-players.
It follows from this that under no circumstances will security standards be compromised during the Satawu strike. Senior security officers (supervisors, departmental heads and assistant managers) are present at all times at central check points to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation as well as ICAO.
We have contract security employees as well as staff from other departments offering assistance where required. ACSA employees from other departments have undergone security training and their assistance will be limited to ‘soft’ security procedures such as conducting hand luggage and body searches under the guidance of seasoned staff. Technical aspects will be left to skilled ACSA security staff and contract security.
ACSA’s contingency plans also took into consideration the FIFA delegation visit to our country. We therefore do not anticipate the industrial action to pose any threat or disruption to the FIFA delegation when they arrive in the country on Thursday, 30 October 2003, and during their visits of our airport network throughout the country. Additional precautions are in place to ensure that we are able to manage any surprises which may arise.
ACSA is fully supportive of the sterling work the 2010 Bid Company has done thus far to secure the prestigious Soccer World Cup event for South Africa and recognise the meaningful role it has to play in this process.
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