In a serious security lapse at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa’s busiest airport, a man travelling from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines passed through security with two training hand grenades in his luggage, completely undetected.
According to Central News, the items were only spotted during a routine check at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, leading to swift action and exposing ongoing tensions in airport security management.
The incident unfolded when the traveller checked in his luggage at OR Tambo for the flight to Ethiopia’s capital. Despite advanced scanning systems in place, the two dummy grenades went undetected, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of current protocols. Training grenades, often used by military personnel to simulate handling and activation without real explosive power, can still produce a small blast effect like smoke and sound, making their presence on a commercial flight a major risk.
Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, airport staff discovered the items during a secondary scan. In line with global aviation safety rules, they intercepted the bag and alerted Ethiopian Airlines. The airline then reported the matter to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), the operator of OR Tambo. Acsa, bound by law, escalated it to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), highlighting a chain of responsibility that underscores the gravity of such oversights.
This breach comes amid heightened scrutiny of airport security in South Africa, where lapses can have dire consequences. If the grenades had activated mid-flight, the results could have been catastrophic, potentially endangering hundreds of lives and causing widespread panic. Ethiopian authorities are now probing the case on their end, focusing on why the passenger carried these items and his intentions, while Acsa’s jurisdiction remains limited to South African soil.
CAA Imposes Hefty Fine on Acsa
In response to the failure, the CAA slapped Acsa with a R2 million penalty for the security violation. As the entity legally tasked with safeguarding passengers, Acsa bears ultimate accountability for ensuring robust measures at its facilities. “The CAA fined Acsa R2 million for the security breach, as Acsa is legally responsible for ensuring the safety of the travelling public,” noted aviation officials familiar with the matter. However, Acsa has pushed back, arguing that the luggage storage and scanning area falls under the control of Aviation Coordination Services (ACS), a firm appointed by airlines to handle such duties. This setup, Acsa claims, ties their hands in direct oversight, complicating efforts to enforce standards. The fine adds to Acsa’s financial burdens and spotlights systemic issues that have simmered for years.
Long-Standing Dispute Between Acsa and ACS
The grenades incident has reignited a bitter feud between Acsa and ACS, which has roots stretching back over two decades. ACS has managed baggage screening at OR Tambo and Durban’s King Shaka International Airport for about 20 years, operating without a formal government tender or contract process. Acsa describes this as an “evergreen” arrangement that undermines their mandate to oversee all public services at airports properly.
“Since 2023, Acsa and ACS have been embroiled in a legal dispute after Acsa decided to take over security services from ACS. Acsa sought to manage the matter within the framework of the Public Finance Management Act but encountered significant resistance,” explained sources close to the proceedings. ACS, backed by the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (Barsa), secured a court interdict to block Acsa’s move. In their legal filings, ACS contended that halting their services prevented necessary upgrades to scanning technology, potentially contributing to vulnerabilities like the recent lapse.
Currently, Acsa is consulting lawyers to shift liability for security incidents in ACS-managed zones back to the company. This includes recouping the R2 million fine tied to alleged negligence in ACS’s operations. The ongoing battle reflects broader challenges in South Africa’s aviation sector, where private partnerships and public oversight often clash, affecting passenger safety.
Suspension of Acsa’s Security Chief Amid Probes
Adding fuel to the fire, Acsa has placed its group executive for enterprise security and compliance, former Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros, on precautionary suspension. Petros, who oversaw security for seven years, faces an independent probe into alleged operational misconduct within his department. Previously Gauteng’s provincial police commissioner, Petros’s leave comes as questions swirl about links to the grenades incident and other irregularities.
While Acsa declines to comment on specifics during the investigation, reports suggest the suspension ties into wider concerns, including a R40 million procurement probe and disputes over a R1 billion tender for smart security systems. The move aims to maintain integrity in daily operations without disruption, but it underscores the pressure on leadership to address recurring breaches. City Press sister publication Rapport inquired if Petros’s action related directly to the Ethiopia event, but Acsa stated they could not elaborate while reviews continue. This development marks a leadership shake-up at a critical time for the airports company.
Locally, the matter is under criminal scrutiny, given the potential for disaster had the devices detonated onboard. “As for the incident on the Ethiopian Airlines flight, it is unclear why the passenger had the two dummy grenades in his luggage,” observers noted. These replicas mimic real grenades for training but lack lethal explosives, yet their transport violates strict aviation rules. Ethiopian officials are also examining the passenger’s motives, with Acsa’s spokesperson Ntokoko Mazibuko confirming cross-border cooperation. Mazibuko emphasised Acsa’s limited reach outside South Africa, highlighting the need for international collaboration in such cases.
This is not an isolated event in South Africa’s aviation history. Firearms and related items have slipped through borders before, eroding public trust. For instance, the Hawks recently issued arrest warrants for a wealthy American couple accused of smuggling gun parts in hand luggage from the US to aid anti-poaching efforts in Kruger National Park. Nathan Edmondson and his wife Gretchen ran a non-profit to fund ranger training and donated Starlink systems for better park communication. Investigations revealed unpermitted imports, leading to seizures of eight Starlink units—illegal for use in South Africa—and three Cellebrite devices, tools restricted to law enforcement for extracting phone data. The Hawks’ probe exposed how such equipment ended up in the park, prompting confiscations and legal action. These patterns point to gaps in import controls and scanning efficacy, urging reforms.
