A slightly built Zimbabwean University of Cape Town (UCT) student, Tinashe Rioga (21), appeared briefly in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with an alleged aircraft hijacking attempt.
Rioga was overpowered by fellow passengers on board a domestic flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Saturday.
In court, Rioga said he would like the court to assist him in initially applying for legal aid.
”My family will finalise arrangements,” he said.
Rioga, who allegedly wielded a hypodermic syringe during the incident, faces a charge of contravening aviation regulations in that he attempted ”to seize [an] aircraft in flight”.
He also faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Magistrate David Tomisi postponed the matter to June 26 for further bail information.
Rioga was remanded in the Bellville South police cells. Rioga apparently wanted the pilot to fly the plan to Maputo.
Gerda Kruger, executive director for communication and marketing at UCT, told the Mail & Guardian Online on Monday that they were looking into Rioga’s records.
”We’re looking though the system to see what we can find. We’re trying to learn as much about him as possible.”
Kruger said Rioga has been studying business science and that he had been expected to graduate at the end of 2006.
A UCT statement said Rioga was in ”good academic standing”.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Sunday that ”South Africa will host the Soccer World Cup in 2010 and we need to show the world that our airspace and our planes are safe and secure.”
Jacqui O’Sullivan, SAA’s head of corporate communication, said: ”We support the DA’s comment and agree that our airspace and planes are safe and secure -‒ so do a lot of other people. There are also a lot of good people working to ensuring a safe and secure aviation industry in South Africa.”
Asked what is the airline’s protocol regarding hijackings, O’Sullivan said in a statement to the M&G Online on Monday that the rule of thumb was always to land as soon as possible and to keep those intent on interfering with the operations of the plane from entering the flight deck.
”Our flight deck security exceeds the requirements from the Civil Aviation Authority,” she said.
Asked whether SAA would consider placing guards on it’s planes, O’Sullivan said their security systems are constantly under review and their response would be in line with ”prevailing and indentified threats”.
‘If you don’t open the door I’ll kill her’
Cape Town resident Yunus Ismail told the M&G Online on Saturday night he was sitting in his business class seat when he saw Rioga walking towards the cockpit with an air hostess.
”He shouted, ‘If you don’t open the door I’ll kill her,”’ Ismail said.
”Three of us jump up … we got such a fright … and then they cuffed him,” he said.
The plane then flew back to Cape Town and a police task force stormed the aircraft and arrested the suspect. Passengers were instructed to put their hands on their heads and keep quiet.
Ismail said one passenger had been struck in the face by a member of the task force.
The plane finally arrived in Johannesburg at 6.20pm on Saturday. O’Sullivan said the passengers were assisted with baggage processing, those with connecting flights were put up in hotels, and those who needed transportation were assisted.
O’Sullivan said a team of counsellors had escorted the passengers on the flight ensuring that they were looked after. – Sapa