Mayibongwe Maqhina|Published
More than 2 300 criminal and security incidents were reported at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka international airports over three financial years, with theft accounting for most cases.
This was revealed by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia when he was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Lisa Schickerling.
Shickerling had asked Cachalia about the security incidents that occurred at the OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports over the past three financial years.
She had wanted to know about the categories of crimes such as baggage handling and baggage pilfering, breaches of aviation security protocols, armed robberies, theft, hijackings or syndicate-related crimes, smuggling of narcotics, contraband, wildlife products, cash or firearms and unlawful access to restricted areas.
OR Tambo Airport reported highest incidents
n his response, Cachalia said SAPS reported cases only on matters formally reported and registered as case dockets.
“Unreported incidents, matters dealt with internally by airport operators or airlines, and intelligence not converted into registered cases are not reflected,” he said.
Cachalia’s response showed that at least 2339 incidents were reported during the past three years.
OR Tambo Airport reported the highest number of incidents during the period under review with 1487, followed by Cape Town Airport with 579 and King Shaka Airport with 273.
During the three-year period, OR Tambo Airport recorded 1369 cases of theft, Cape Town International Airport recorded 305 cases and King Shaka International 148 cases.
The responses show that there were at least 346 incidents of baggage handling and baggage pilfering at Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports.
Cachalia said at OR Tambo International Airport, baggage handling and baggage pilfering incidents were registered under theft-related dockets in the crime administration data and were reflected under theft to avoid double counting.
“Where no case is reflected as syndicate-related, it means that no case was formally registered under that description for the relevant airport and financial year,” he clarified.
During the same period, aviation breaches were recorded only at King Shaka and Cape Town Airports.
There were 32 cases recorded - 21 in Cape Town and 11 at King Shaka.
No robbery incidents were reported at OR Tambo International and Cape Town Airports, but King Shaka Airport recorded at least nine incidents.
Eight vehicle hijacking cases were registered at OR Tambo International Airport during the three-year period.
Two were recorded in 2023/34, six in the following year and none in the last year ending in March 2026.
Cachalia’s responses showed that 106 cases involving narcotics smuggling were registered at OR Tambo International Airport and 11 at Cape Town International Airport.