Gauteng e-Panic button crushing it
The Gauteng Provincial Government’s (GPG) e-Panic button, launched in pilot in April 2023, has accumulated more than 100,000 downloads and has been used by more than 51,000 of the province’s residents.
This is according to a GPG update on the e-Panic button’s rollout. eGovernment MEC Bonginkosi Dhlamini says the service’s turnaround time for ambulances and armed response is between seven and 10 minutes.
The GPG said it hoped to see the number of downloads increase in 2025.
“The Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, indicated in his State of the Province Address 2025 that the GPG will continue to use technology to fight against crime and lawlessness in Gauteng,” it said.
“This includes the use of the e-panic button distributed electronically and physically as an essential tool to safeguard the residents of Gauteng.”
It says more than 51,000 residents have used the panic button to call for help in dire emergencies, with the most common incidents reported being motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian-vehicle accidents, assaults, shootings, and sexual offences.
The majority of calls have come out of Johannesburg, which has accumulated 21,000 callouts since launch, followed by Ekurhuleni, with over 11,000, and Tshwane, with over 10,000.
“Furthermore, the department has started noticing calls from residents pertaining to missing persons which refer to cases of kidnapping in Gauteng,” the GPG added.
Residents of the following areas commonly use the e-Panic button to call for help:
- Bram Fischerville
- Eldorado Park
- Olievenhoutbosch
- Tsakane
- Cosmo City
- Johannesburg Central
- Daveyton
- Vosloorus
- Dobsonville
- Meadowlands
- Mohlakeng
- Kwa-Thema
- Mamelodi
- Toekomsrus
- Diepkloof
- Kagiso
- Thulani
- Jukskei View
- Pretoria Central
- Ivory Park
- Evaton West
- Soshanguve South
- Bekkerdal
- Palm Ridge
- Alexandra
- Atteridgeville
- Thembisa
- Ennerdale
Dhlamini says there is no doubt that the e-Panic button is making a difference in Gauteng communities.
“Its effectiveness can only be acknowledged if residents download and use it in a time of need. Our team is always ready and fully capable to attend to residents when they call for help,” he said.
“Our turnaround time to deploy ambulances or armed response is between seven and 10 minutes.”
The GPG launched the e-Panic button app as part of a broader strategy to leverage technology to fight crime and protect residents.
It provides immediate emergency assistance and is free for all Gauteng residents.
MyBroadband tested the e-Panic button app on Android in August 2024. We were impressed with the overall user experience and performance.
Downloading the app only consumed about 108MB of data and occupied 208MB of storage.
The setup process is seamless, asking users to provide their phone numbers to receive a one-time PIN for SMS verification. Users must also enter their name, surname, and email address.
It is also critical that users grant the app permission to access location, motion, and notification functions on their phones, the reasoning for which is clearly explained during the process.
Users will then be presented with the home page, which comprises three large buttons: Report a Crime, Medical Emergencies, and Activate Armed Response.
If the user selects “Report a Crime” they will move to a page where they must enter the type of crime they witnessed, a brief description, and provide images of the crime if possible.
Our testing of the Medical Emergencies and Activate Armed Response services was very impressive.
We tapped the medical emergency response option at around 19:23 on a Sunday in Pretoria and immediately received an SMS notification confirming the request.
Seconds later, we received a call from the response control room. We told the operator that we had accidentally pushed the button.
We then tested the Activate Armed Response button on a Tuesday morning. We quickly received an SMS confirming the request, and the response room operator called within five seconds.
In both cases, the operators were clearly audible and professional.
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