Gauteng Provincial Government is urging residents to download and use the Gauteng e-Panic Button as part of efforts to build safer, smarter and more connected communities.
Residents are also assured that a recent attempted security breach involving the e-Panic Button environment was identified and addressed, and the department established that no citizens’ personal information was compromised.
Bonginkosi Dhlamini, MEC for e-Government, Research and Development, says technical teams acted decisively to address the identified vulnerabilities and strengthen the platform’s security controls.
“The security of our systems and the protection of residents’ personal information are non-negotiable. The vulnerability was identified, our technical teams implemented corrective measures promptly. This is not an ordinary incident that can simply be replicated by an average IT practitioner.”
The Gauteng e-Panic Button is an application that enables residents to request emergency assistance during criminal incidents, medical emergencies, gender-based violence, fires and other life-threatening situations.
Dhlamini comments: “The Gauteng e-Panic Button is ultimately about people. It is about ensuring that when a resident is confronted with danger or an emergency, technology can help them reach assistance as quickly as possible.
“We understand that residents will only use this platform if they trust it. That is why the protection of personal information and the security of the platform remain central to our work. We will continue to test, improve and strengthen the system because we have a responsibility to protect both our residents and the integrity of the technology they rely on.”
He adds that the Gauteng e-Panic Button has already demonstrated significant impact across the province.
To date, the platform has recorded:
- 288 307 active users
- 14 414 emergency call-outs
- 27 929 citizens assisted
- 12 051 lives saved
- 59 394 crimes reported
- 15 minutes 57 seconds average response time