More than 51 000 residents of Gauteng have used the province’s e-Panic Button to call for help in emergency situations since the inception of the crime-fighting technology.

According to the province’s e-Government Department, since its launch in April 2024, the Gauteng e-Panic Button has been downloaded more than 100 000 times by residents.

“The most common incidents where people have been assisted include motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian vehicle accidents, assaults, shooting and sexual offences.

“The leading Gauteng regions with the most recorded incidents are Johannesburg with over 21 000 callouts, Ekurhuleni with over 11 000 callouts and Tshwane with over 10 000 callouts. Furthermore, the department has started noticing calls from residents pertaining to missing persons, which refers to cases of kidnapping in Gauteng,” the department said.

Gauteng e-Government MEC Bonginkosi Dhlamini hailed the e-Panic Button as an important tool for helping to fight crime and deal with emergencies for Gauteng residents.

“It is without a doubt that the e-Panic Button is making a difference in our 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. Our turnaround time to deploy ambulances or armed response is between 7 – 10 minutes,” Dhlamini said.

The e-Panic Button can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

“Those who have already downloaded are encouraged to use the e-Panic Button in times of emergencies to receive assistance from the command centre,” the department said.