Airports Company South Africa review: ACSA security check

Dear ACSA Management,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding an incident that occurred at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday. I was subjected to unacceptable treatment by one of your employees, which left me deeply upset and traumatized.

The employee attempted to forcibly remove a shotgun belt, valued at R15,000, from my bag without asking me to take it out myself. Despite my repeated requests not to damage the item, she continued in a manner that showed no respect for my property. I was compelled to warn that I would take legal action if the belt was broken. This behavior was both unprofessional and dehumanizing.

Furthermore, I was told that even if I checked the belt in, it would be stopped. This contradicts my experience at Cape Town International Airport just last week, where I carried the same shotgun belt in my hand luggage without any issues. It is important to note that a shotgun belt devoid of ammunition is not classified as dangerous goods. Treating it as such is unreasonable and demonstrates a lack of understanding of aviation security regulations.

I expect ACSA to address this matter seriously. Your staff must be trained to respect passengers and their property, and to apply consistent, rational standards across all airports. The conduct I experienced at OR Tambo was unacceptable and has severely damaged my trust in ACSA.

I request a formal response outlining the steps you will take to ensure incidents like this do not happen again.