GAUTENG. – Security contracts at Wonderboom national airport expired on 30 September, after which the DA raised questions about access control and interim security measures at the airport.
Alderman Dana Wannenburg, DA chief whip in Tshwane, says he is concerned about the level of visible security after he was personally able to enter and leave the airport without encountering meaningful access control. Wannenburg says Wonderboom Airport supports more than 2 500 people, houses dozens of aviation enterprises and handles more than 148 000 aircraft movements per year according to the DA. The airport is property of the City of Tshwane and the City's own information describes it as an economic catalyst and emphasises the need for a safe and secure environment for aviation operations.
According to Wannenburg, the City indicated that the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) is coordinating interim measures, but the DA believes this does not answer questions about access control and the protection of valuable assets. The DA calls on the City to immediately conduct a security assessment at the airport, make interim security arrangements public and explain why new security measures were not ready when the previous contracts expired.
In 2023 the City said the airport had regained Category five status following a South African Civil Aviation Authority audit session, with security measures that according to the City exceeded minimum civil aviation standards.
Sources: DA, City of Tshwane
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
