29 Jul 2021

Botswana, as a contracting state to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (CICA), is committed to high aviation security standards and international best practices of service facilitation, says Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Thulaganyo Segokgo.

Presenting the Aviation Security (Amendment) Bill before Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Segokgo said aviation security remained government’s top priority, hence the need to amend the Aviation Act to align it with international standards.

He said it was important to note that the International Civil Aviation Organisation, periodically introduced new standards. Therefore, contracting states were obliged to comply with new standards as set out at the Chicago convention which underpinned most of the founding principles of the international aviation framework.

Minister Segokgo said Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) played an advisory role to government on all issues relating to civil aviation as well as the country’s obligations to international aviation conventions. He said the Aviation Security Act was last amended in 2011, which meant nine years elapsed without incorporation new ICAO requirements.

Minister Segokgo noted that in 2016, CAAB underwent a universal security programme audit with results revealing that its regulatory framework did not encapsulate all relevant provisions.

“The Aviation Security Act was found to be defective in several areas, thus the objective of the universal security program was incorporated to promote global aviation security through auditing contracting states on a regular basis to determine the status of implementation of the ICAO security standards,” he said.

Minister Segokgo said the proposed amendments sought to address some of the inefficiency by introducing new provisions which directly addressed the loopholes.

Additionally, he said Clause 3 provided for special protection of an aircraft and mandated contracting states to ensure additional security measures in respect of specific flights were met.

Another amendment provides for the establishment of membership functions and meetings of the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee (NATFC) for purposes of coordinating facilitation activities between departments, agencies and other organisations for various aspects of civil aviation operation within the country.

The proposed amendments further provide for the establishment of an aerodrome facilitation committee and for the committee to stand alone from national air transportation committee.

Debating the bill, Mahalapye West MP, Mr David Tshere underscored the importance of strengthening aviation security given its pivotal role in countering terrorism and crime prevention.

However, Mr Tshere argued against the use of civilian passenger airlines on military missions, saying that could that make such airlines prone to terror attacks.

Kgalagadi North MP, Ms Talita Monnakgotla called on CAAB to make security and safety top priority and to continue working with the international aviation industry to develop appropriate measures to keep pace with evolving trends.

Mochudi East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule applauded the proposed amendments but pleaded with the minister to further revisit  the aerodrome  regulations given positive use of drones in modern society. ENDS