Cape Town — Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has said that it does not discriminate against individuals travelling through airports throughout the country.
This comes after online media reports suggested that some passengers were discriminated against during airport searches. But ACSA denied these allegations and said that it upholds internationally recognised standard operating procedures and complies with national aviation legislation and regulations that strive to ensure the security and safety of passengers.
“Our security protocols include random physical searches performed for all passengers after a certain number of people have passed a security search point at the airport terminal. These standard practices are in line with the security manual of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),” ACSA said on X.
It said that searches are designed to be conducted for all travellers, even with no trigger from the security checkpoint. ACSA called on all travellers to comply with the airport’s requirements when it comes to screenings, including religious and cultural headwear.
PRESS STATEMENT
20 July 2024
ACSA UPHOLDS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STANDARDS AND RESPECTS
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTSAirports Company South Africa (ACSA) has noted online media reports on security screening and searching of passengers and appeals for cooperation with airport security…
— Airports Company SA (@Airports_ZA) July 20, 2024
ACSA said that searches will be conducted with sensitivity due to recognised religious and cultural practices, including an appropriate place to conduct searches and it acknowledged that searches may be uncomfortable to passengers and security ensure that all searches are safe.
“We would like to categorically state that ACSA does not have any policies or procedures that discriminate against any passengers or airport users based on gender, race, cultural beliefs, religion, or place of origin,” said General Mzwandile Petros, Group Executive for Enterprise Security.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy that accords equal regard to all individuals regardless of their faith, race, gender, or cultural background. ACSA, as a state-owned company, subscribes to all principles as espoused in the Constitution, which ensure a free and equal society. Furthermore, we are always ready to observe and defend the rights of all persons at the facilities we manage,” he said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
