Flying Bean - interesting. I have just done the Joburg run again, although with LH this time LHR/MUC/JNB and no questions asked about matches at any stage.
The story I related about the gas fired curling tongs was on a LHR/JNB run a couple of years ago with VS.
The inspection people seem to be able to only think about one threat at a time and, right now, they are thinking about 'sharp objects'. The events of PA103 and a bomb joining the aircraft at a transit stop, appear to have been forgotten. I have been dissapointed (but not surprised) at the very poor quality of x-ray and inspection in the last six weeks.