Speaker, minder as 'n maand gelede is 'n SAL- bemanningslid en 'n SAL-veiligheidswag, wat bemanningslede se bagasie moes keur, in London in hegtenis geneem toe dagga en kokaene in hul bagasie gevind is.
Wat gaan aan met die SAL? Ek verwys na 'n paar voorvalle. Na vele pleidooie deur die DA, het die SAL uiteindelik sy bestrede hoofuitvoerende beampte uit sy pos verwyder, as gevolg van finansile wanbestuur.
Tweedens het die Minister reeds verlede jaar in 'n antwoord op 'n DA- parlementre vraag erken dat 3 124 SAL-passasiers maandeliks slagoffers van bagasiediefstal is. Dit is kommerwekkend, want as bagasie oopgeskeur kan word om iets uit te haal, dan kan dit ook net sowel oopgeskeur word om iets ongewens soos plofstof en dwelms daarin terug te sit. Waar is die SAL se beheermaatrels?
Vandag berig die media weereens dat nog 15 van die SAL se bemanningslede op Heathrow Lughawe in hegtenis geneem is, omdat sogenaamde smokkelgoedere op hul bus gevind is. Die feit dat 'n SAL-veiligheidswag by die ongerymdhede betrokke is, laat mens onwillekeurig terugdink aan die SA Helderberg, wat 'n paar jaar gelede neergestort het toe, na bewering, plofstof of ander brandmateriaal sonder die medewete van passasiers aan boord was. Die vraag is nou, hoe veilig is SAL-passasiers en kan ons nog steeds praat van die SAL as "Proudly South African"? Die DA verwelkom dit dat die SAL sy veiligheidsmaatrels gaan opskerp en die DA eis dat 'n volledige verslag aan die Parlement voorgehou word oor presies wat dit sal behels, sodat die veiligheid van die SAL-passasiers verseker kan word. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Dr S M VAN DYK (DA): Speaker, less than a month ago an SAA crew member and an SAA security guard, whose job it was to screen the luggage of crew members, were arrested in London when dagga and cocaine were found in their luggage.
What is happening at SAA? I refer to a couple of incidents. After several pleas by the DA, SAA eventually removed its controversial chief executive officer from his post, as a result of financial mismanagement.
Secondly, the Minister has already acknowledged last year in an answer to a question by the DA in Parliament that 3 124 SAA passengers are victims of luggage theft every month. It is alarming, because if luggage could be torn open to take out something, then it can just as well be torn open to plant something undesired like explosives and drugs. What control measures have been put in place by SAA?
Today the media once again reports that another 15 crew members of SAA were arrested at Heathrow Airport, because so-called contraband goods were found on their bus. The fact that an SAA security guard is involved with these irregularities makes one involuntarily recall the SA Helderberg that crashed when, allegedly, explosives or some other flammable material were on board without the knowledge of the passengers. The question now is how safe are SAA passengers and can we still consider SAA as "Proudly South African"?
The DA welcomes the fact that SAA is going to tighten its security measures and the DA demands that a full report about what is going to be done to ensure the safety of SAA passengers be tabled before Parliament. I thank you.]