By Mulalo Luvhimbi
The Gauteng government has urged residents to download and use its e-Panic Button app, saying the platform gives people another way to request help during emergencies.
The Department of e-Government said the app can be used during criminal incidents, medical emergencies, gender-based violence, fires and other life-threatening situations.
“The platform is part of government’s commitment to harness technology to strengthen public safety, improve access to emergency services and ensure that residents can summon assistance quickly during moments of crisis,” the department said.
It said the platform had recorded 288,307 active users, 114,414 emergency call-outs and 27,929 citizens assisted.
It said 12,051 lives had been saved, 59,394 crimes reported and the average response time was 15 minutes and 57 seconds.
The government said the app was particularly important for township and vulnerable communities, where residents can face barriers to accessing emergency and safety services.
The department also said that it had recently identified an attempted security breach involving the e-Panic Button environment.
It said the incident was identified and addressed, and that no citizens’ personal information was compromised.
The department said the incident involved a “highly specialised organisation with advanced cybersecurity expertise and capabilities in vulnerability identification and security testing”, but did not identify the organisation or provide further details.
MEC for e-Government, Research and Development Bonginkosi Dhlamini said the department had acted to 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,” Dhlamini said.
The department said it had requested additional testing and verification to ensure identified security requirements had been addressed.
It said residents must have confidence that personal information collected through the platform would be protected and handled in accordance with applicable legislation, government information-security requirements and principles governing the protection of personal information.
“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,” Dhlamini said.
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