Overview
- Students from Stellenbosch University and independent reporters found an unauthenticated database linked to the Gauteng e-Panic Button that left user records publicly viewable, and journalists say they notified the province in late September.
- GroundUp’s examination and security researchers say the exposed entries included crime reports, GPS coordinates, names, phone numbers, ID and vehicle numbers, and more than 5,000 attached images, with some reports involving domestic violence and assault.
- The Gauteng Department of e-Government and the provincial government say their teams identified the vulnerability, implemented fixes and determined that no citizens’ personal information was compromised.
- The Democratic Alliance has said it will report the incident to the Information Regulator and seek answers from the legislature’s e‑government committee, and reporters say affected users have not yet been formally notified.
- The incident raises procurement and trust questions — the platform runs on a disclosed R269-million contract with R131.3-million paid so far — and heightens safety risks for vulnerable residents if sensitive reports were exposed.