Uniformed Mafoko Security Patrols Guards. Picture: Mafoko/Facebook Unpaid security personnel deployed at airports and other sensitive public sites may be posing a growing safety risk, security experts warned, after an internal Mafoko Security Patrols memorandum confirmed a missed salary payment in December 2025. Sources close to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said this was not the first time Mafoko’s salaries were paid late or sporadically over the past 18 months.
Mafoko has also faced ongoing allegations and litigation linked to unpaid provident fund contributions deducted from workers’ wages. The non-payment of salaries poses a major risk to sensitive facilities like airports, said security specialist Jimmy Roodt. “Unpaid security personnel pose significant risks due to low morale, distraction and resentment, which can lead to reduced vigilance, absenteeism or even intentional lapses in duty,” Roodt said.
“In an airport environment, this heightens vulnerabilities such as overlooked suspicious items, inadequate screening or delayed responses to potential threats.” He said compromised vigilance could directly affect the detection of explosives and other prohibited items. “These are not minor compliance breaches. They present a real risk of loss of life and could end up causing severe economic disruption,” he said.
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An internalMafokomemorandum dated 5 January 2026, seen byThe Citizen, confirmed that the company failed to pay salaries due on 15 December 2025, citing delayed revenue collection. It promised payment only on 15 January 2026. Beyond heavily delayed salaries,Saftugeneral secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said that Mafoko’s outstanding pension fund contribution bill remains massive despite the court ruling.
“Mafoko owes workers an estimated R111 million to R330 million in stolen contributions,” he said. “This is not a mistake. It is a deliberate act of theft and contempt for the law, a corporate crime committed against some of the most vulnerable and exploited workers in our country.
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