South Africa’s aviation accident body is to become fully independent from the country’s aviation regulator, following long-standing concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Last year, the Department of Transport (DoT) flagged that the relationship between the Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AIID) and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) could potentially create conflicts of interest, impacting its reporting.
While some publications claimed that the AIID’s lack of independence could result in a ban on South African carriers operating internationally, experts told Travel News that this was unlikely, as the investigation unit’s independence remains a standard rather than a law.
They emphasised that ICAO would continue to offer SACAA time to meet the standard.
Changing legislation
Sisa Majola, SACAA’s Manager of Communications, explained to Travel News that the AIID was currently operating under a transitional dual-reporting framework that would eventually see the entity legislatively separated from SACAA.
Majola said the AIID remained governed by a Ministerial Order issued in May 2016, which introduced a dual-reporting structure. This arrangement will stay in place until the Civil Aviation Amendment Act, signed into law in April 2022, is proclaimed by the President.
“The AIID currently reports functionally and independently to the Ministry of Transport and the DoT on all accidents and incidents investigation matters, while the administrative reporting line to the Director of Civil Aviation is limited to corporate support services,” said Majola. “Under the new Act, the AIID will report to an independent Board under the DoT.”
In the interim, Majola assures that SACAA is not privy to AIID’s records and investigation data, outside of the administrative reports that the Executive of the AIID provides. Furthermore, it is treated like other participants in investigations by providing related documentation and taking part in interviews.
“In conclusion, the SACAA supports the legislative separation of the AIID from the Regulator as this will ensure compliance to ICAO Annex 13 and international standards,” said Majola.
“SACAA will continue to implement all the terms agreed upon in the existing agreement to ensure optimum functionality of the AIID up until the Act is proclaimed.”
General aviation accident rates
On December 9, 2025, SACAA published a statement expressing deep concern about a spate of general aviation fatal accidents recorded across the country.
“In this 2025/26 financial year alone, the AIID recorded 43 accidents, of which 12 were fatal accidents, resulting in 17 fatalities. This is an increase of 10 fatal accidents when compared to the same period at the end of November 2024,” said the statement.
“The AIID is conducting independent investigations to determine the causal and contributory factors behind these accidents. While these investigations are still under way, the SACAA is accelerating proactive safety interventions under the newly approved General Aviation Safety Strategy 2025-2030, aimed at strengthening safety performance and reducing preventable risks in the general aviation sector,” said SACAA.
