TO: ALL MEDIA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 2026

COMMITTEE DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM e-GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING REPORTED EXPOSURE OF GAUTENG RESIDENTS’ PERSONAL DATA VIA e-PANIC APP

The Legislaturte’s Portfolio Committee on e-Government and Research & Development is deeply alarmed by reports that the e-Panic Button App, a tool that Gauteng residents trust in moments of danger, has left their most sensitive personal information exposed. The Committee views this as a serious failure of the Department of e-Government’s duty to safeguard the people of Gauteng, and it will hold the Department accountable.

The Committee has learned that the App has a security flaw that exposed an unsecured database. According to reports, the database contained the identities and locations of people who reported crimes, the content of those reports, images, ID numbers, driver’s licence details and medical aid information. Residents who turned to the App for protection may instead have been placed at risk.

The flaw was reportedly discovered by Joel Cendras, a student at Stellenbosch University, and is said to date back to the App’s launch in 2024. If confirmed, this means that residents’ data may have been vulnerable for an extended period.

The Committee is particularly concerned because the Department has repeatedly appeared before it and submitted reports on the App, giving assurances about the App’s safety and security. The Committee will now closely examine whether those assurances were accurate and whether adequate testing, monitoring and risk controls were in place.

In line with its constitutional mandate to oversee the executive and ensure that public resources are used responsibly, the Committee demands that the Department of e-Government:

1. Explain the measures in place, and those taken since the flaw was reported, to contain and fix the security threat.
2. Confirm whether the exposed data has been accessed or misused, and whether affected residents and the relevant regulators, including the Information Regulator, have been notified.
3. Account for how a flaw of this magnitude went undetected for so long despite the Department’s reports to the Committee.
4.Submit a detailed written report on the incident, including the timeline, the security audits conducted, and the steps taken to prevent a recurrence.

    The Committee will not accept assurances without evidence. It will monitor the Department’s response and use its oversight powers to ensure that the safety and privacy of Gauteng residents are restored and protected.

    ISSUED BY THE GPL’S COMMUNICATIONS’ SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON E-GOVERNMENT AND RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, HONOURABLE MBALI HLOPHE.

    For Interview requests with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee please contact Ms Valerie Langa on Vlanga@gpl.gov.za or 0810117449