Panyaza Lesufi calls on public to submit tender applications for e-panic button to fight crime and GBV

17 March 2023 - 07:14
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Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi announced plans to tackle crime in the province. File photo.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi announced plans to tackle crime in the province. File photo.
Image: Antonio Muchave

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has called on members of the public who can provide e-panic buttons to apply for the tender.

The e-panic button intervention was announced during the recent state of the province address, with Lesufi saying it was aimed at strengthening efforts to deal with the high levels of crime and gender-based violence (GBV).

“Can you provide an e-panic button that can protect Gauteng citizens and can be reliable?

“The e-panic button must have features to assist quick responses by police, ambulances, fire services and other life-threatening services. Let’s hear from you,” Lesufi said this week.

The closing date for tender applications is March 24.

Lesufi said fighting crime was at the top of the Gauteng government’s agenda.

“The issue of fighting crime should be our apex priority. We should unleash all our resources at our disposal to tackle crime. To this end, we are increasing our budget for fighting crime from R750m to multi-billion in the next three years,” he said.

Lesufi added that the provincial government will start to connect suburbs, townships, business districts, schools and other public places with hi-tech face and car-recognition closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

“We will arm our residents with e-panic buttons that will be linked to our law enforcement agencies, CCTVs and our new state-of-the-art integrated command centre.

“We will unveil two new helicopters at the beginning of the next financial year and add four additional helicopters within the 2023/2024 budget cycle,” Lesufi said.

He said the private security industry pledged to add theirs to the pool of helicopters for patrolling.

“To ensure our police are not sacrificial lambs in the battles with criminals, we are at an advanced stage to procure 180 state-of-the-art drones that will infiltrate areas that are difficult to patrol and police. These drones are equipped with technology that can capture the direction of a bullet and where it comes from.” 

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