South African airport security has been exposed ahead of the World Cup, appearing to ridicule claims by the host country its defences are water tight.
Undercover radio reporters managed to take steak knives, screwdrivers, razors, pairs of scissors and even syringes on to flights without detection.
The Eyewitness News reporters tested 10 flights at various host city airports.
“In more than half of the incidences, we managed to get on to flights with these illicit items,” senior reporter Mandy Weiner told Sky News.
She said although an attempt to take fake explosives on board a plane failed, airport officials did not recognise the scale of the threat the genuine article would pose.
Ms Weiner explained: “It was essentially just two bottles, one filled with salt and one filled with green liquid, but they were labelled as two products which if combined in that particular amount, could bring down an aeroplane.
“The bottles were confiscated but the security officials didn’t acknowledge that they were in any way explosive.”
Eyewitness News, which broadcasts on South African radio station Radio 702, passed on its findings to world football’s governing body Fifa and the tournament’s local organising committee.
“(The organistions have) taken note of what we have done and say that while they are concerned that we managed to breach security like this, they are confident that ACSA has done enough,” Ms Weiner said.
The Airports Company South Africa manages the biggest airports in the country.
“They are adamant that security at the airports is tight. They believe it is world class,”Ms Weiner added.
“The general consensus among South Africans is that security is sufficiently tight at airports around the country.
“But I think that our investigation has shown that these security checkpoints may be far more porous than the public and officials care to admit.”
Meanwhile, South African police have attempted to demonstrate the strength and range of their security arrangements.
Officers paraded fire engines, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles through Johannesburg.
The show came as Iraqi security forces revealed they had detained a Saudi army officer suspected of planning a “terrorist act” at the tournament, which kicks off on June 11.
