Passengers making their way to their terminals at a South African airport. Picture: David Ritchie(Independent Newspapers)
The company responsible for the upkeep and management of South Africa’s airports, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), said that it will continue to adhere to all internationally recognised standard operating procedures and comply with national aviation legislation and regulations.
This statement was released after ACSA was accused of discrimination after it’s security screening and searching of passengers, was deemed to be targeting Muslim travellers.
According to online media reports, Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha (managed by ACSA), posted a notice on Facebook that has been described as, “an ill-worded and offensive security notice singling out Muslim women’s headdress”.
Following the outrage, ACSA maintained that it’s safety protocols were in line with international aviation standards and South Africa’s constitutional right to ensure the security and safety of passengers.
General Mzwandile Petros, Group Executive for Enterprise Security, said ACSA did not have any policies or procedures that discriminated against any passengers or airport users on the basis of gender, race, cultural beliefs, religion or place of origin.
“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,” said Petros.
ACSA also took the opportunity and urged passengers to cooperate with airport security personnel as they undertake this basic but essential part of aviation security.
It explained that its security protocols included random physical searches that are performed for all passengers after a certain number of people have passed a security search point at the airport terminal, in line with the security manual of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“Searches are designed to be conducted for all travellers, even when there is no trigger from the security checkpoint.
“As such, ACSA calls on all travellers to note that when being ushered through the screening process by airport security personnel, they may be required to remove any headgear including fixed religious and cultural headgear,” said ACSA.
It added that the physical searches will be conducted with due sensitivity to recognised religious and cultural practices at all times, and this included providing an appropriate space to conduct a physical search, should the passenger so prefer.
“ACSA acknowledges that physical searches may cause discomfort to our passengers, and in view of this, our security personnel have been instructed to ensure that all searches are conducted in a respectful and courteous manner,” said ACSA.