When I read this I was not surprised. Let's put it like this... having had dealings with SAA before and after Coleman Andrews, this is no surprise. F/A and F/C have been busted before for drug smuggling. 50 kilos is not much. It's split across three suitcases... 2 x 15kg, 1 x 20kg, plus the 4 kilos of Colombia's finest in one of the 15 kilo bags.
It definitely needed people at JNB to let this through (and SA media already reports that a female security guard has been arrested - who confessed - what are the chances that she's been threatened), and then the hope that no-one ever stops cabin crew in London (a misnomer because c/c are just as often and randomly checked as pax are).
Those who are guilty of this are an embarrassment to your profession, but again, it is no surprise in the current climate in South Africa. Crime is rampant, and either people want to escape the townships and elevate themselves to nicer surroundings (by resorting to some on-the-side work), or are simply pressured by gangsters into complying (*eish* We know where your parents live).
I certainly hope it's the latter, but considering it's three bags, it needed more than one person to try and do this.
A real shame to see the flying springbok take such a dive...
S.