Incentive schemes will reward whistle-blowers
LEONARD NEILL
ALL OF South Africa’s airports, harbours and inland border posts are currently under scrutiny as part of a government plan to improve safety and security at all points of entry to and exit from the country, says Transport Minister Jeff Radebe.
Addressing a destinations workshop arranged by Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) in Cape Town last week, he said government was in the final stages of completing a multi-million rand aviation security plan, which would provide resources to secure airports throughout the country.
“I have reviewed the reports of the latest security breaches at Johannesburg International Airport in the most serious light,” he said.
Acsa announced at the workshop that it had introduced an intensive security audit among its employees, and had upgraded permit systems allowing entry to closed areas at airports. A high-powered internal investigation team has also been constituted, while security incentive schemes and an anonymous tip-off hotline have been introduced in a bid to improve security at airports.
An amount of R100million has been set aside by Acsa for the implementation of the security plan.
Radebe also referred to problems which have arisen with poor scheduling, services, routings and costing on the African continent. He met his Nigerian and Kenyan counterparts recently to encourage the speedy implementation of the Yamassoukro Declaration’s open skies requirements.
South Africa will host a continent-wide meeting of transport and aviation ministers in the first quarter of next year, to look into aviation in Africa, he said.
