According to Nolu Hlophoyi, spokesperson for DearSA, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is proposing a monumental change to South Africa’s emergency response system. This proposal seeks to phase out the long-standing and widely recognised numbers 10111 (police), 10177 (ambulance and medical emergencies), and 107 (fire and rescue) and consolidate them into a single number, 112.
“While the intent of this change is to simplify access to emergency services, the reality is deeply concerning. The current system is already failing under the weight of severe understaffing, technological shortcomings, and poor management,” stated Hlophoyi.
Reports indicate that South African Police Service (SAPS) call centres drop or abandon a significant percentage of emergency calls due to resource constraints and technical failures. “Transitioning to a single-number system without addressing these foundational weaknesses will not solve these issues—it could amplify them, putting South African lives at even greater risk,” Hlophoy emphasized.
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Date: 21 Nov 2024
