Cape Town – South Africa’s major airports are “woefully unprepared” to handle a bomb threat, according to explosives expert Jimmy Roodt, who warned that the lack of proper infrastructure and safety standards could endanger lives as the country prepares to host the G20 summit.
According to The Citizen, Jimmy Roodt, operations director at Gauntlet Security Solutions, said the country’s main airports — including OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, and King Shaka International — do not meet key international blast-mitigation and safety standards.
Roodt told the publication that his findings were based on on-site inspections and benchmarking against International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines.
He said that the current approach to bomb threats was dangerously flawed, with airports still relying on fire evacuation procedures instead of explosion-specific safety protocols.
In July, IOL reported a serious security lapse at OR Tambo International Airport after two training grenades slipped through baggage screening undetected.
The explosives were only discovered upon arrival in Ethiopia, prompting Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) to cancel its contract with the screening firm.
[WATCH]
President Ramaphosa says South Africa is ready to host a successful G20 Summit. He’s calling for Africa’s debt crisis to be a key focus at the summit, urging global leaders to work together on sustainable solutions. pic.twitter.com/djakTGdwa7— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 9, 2025
The incident raised renewed concerns about vulnerabilities in airport screening and threat-detection systems, with aviation experts warning that such oversights highlight the urgent need to strengthen security measures ahead of the G20 Summit.
He reportedly highlighted that assembly points were located as close as 25 to 65 metres from possible blast zones and that no reinforced shelters or barriers exist to protect passengers and staff. “Financial gains cannot come before passenger safety,” Roodt said. “This is a crisis hiding in plain sight.”
Roodt said he has repeatedly raised the matter with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), but received no response. He has since escalated his concerns to the ICAO, calling for an independent audit of the country’s airports.
The SACAA, maintained that South Africa complies with international aviation safety obligations under the Chicago Convention and underwent an ICAO audit in 2022, but declined to share details, citing national security concerns.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
