By JD GLOBAL MEDIA
South Africa's national 10111 police emergency call system is facing continued pressure from ageing technology, insufficient staffing and growing call volumes, raising fresh questions about the country's ability to provide a reliable first point of contact for people seeking urgent police assistance.
The latest information from Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia shows that the South African Police Service spent approximately R19.3 million over five financial years maintaining two of the major systems supporting the 10111 service, while no capital investment was made during that period to modernise or replace the three main systems on which the emergency call centres depend.
One of those systems, the Cisco Unified Communications Manager infrastructure, has reached its official end-of-life and end-of-support status.
That means the manufacturer no longer provides software updates, security patches or technical support for the system.
Cachalia has warned that the situation creates operational, reliability, cybersecurity and long-term sustainability risks.
At the same time, SAPS does not have enough call-centre operators to consistently handle incoming demand during peak periods.
The combination of outdated infrastructure and staffing shortages creates a challenge for a service whose purpose is to receive emergency calls, gather information and direct police resources to incidents requiring urgent attention.
The 10111 service operates around the clock and is intended specifically for police emergencies.
How The 10111 System Works
The 10111 number is designed to provide members of the public with a national emergency channel when they need police assistance.
When a caller contacts 10111, an operator collects information about the emergency and records the complaint.
The information is then assigned to the relevant SAPS unit for a response.
The service can be particularly important when a caller does not know the telephone number of the nearest police station or when an incident is unfolding quickly.
SAPS advises people using the service to provide their name and location, the nearest street corner, a telephone number if requested, information about suspects and whether weapons are involved, and any other details that could assist officers responding to the incident.
The caller is also provided with a reference number for the complaint.
For the system to work effectively, however, the call must be answered, the information must be captured accurately and the relevant police resources must be dispatched without unnecessary delay.
That makes both the technology and the personnel operating the centres critical components of emergency policing.
R19.3 Million Spent On Supporting Systems
According to information provided by Cachalia in response to parliamentary questions, SAPS spent approximately R19.3 million on the Global Emergency Mobile Communications Command and Control system and the Mobile Data System over five financial years.
The expenditure was spread across the 2021/22 to 2025/26 financial years.
The annual amounts were approximately R4.04 million in 2021/22, R4.15 million in 2022/23, R2.70 million in 2023/24, R3.19 million in 2024/25 and R5.20 million in 2025/26.
The money covered software licences, standby services, routine maintenance and support for the GEMC3 system, as well as maintenance of the Mobile Data System by the State Information Technology Agency.
The figures do not represent the entire cost of operating the 10111 service.
In particular, the expenditure specifically attributable to the Cisco telephone system could not be separated from SAPS's broader Unified Communications environment.
The available figures therefore provide only part of the financial picture.
Nevertheless, the latest information raises a significant question about the difference between maintaining an existing emergency system and investing in a modern replacement.
No Capital Upgrade During Five Years
Cachalia confirmed that there was no capital investment to modernise or replace the Cisco, GEMC3 or Mobile Data systems during the five-year period under review.
The Cisco telephone infrastructure was instead maintained under a service-level agreement with SITA.
No upgrades or enhancements were implemented on the Cisco telephony system during the period.
This means SAPS continued operating the existing infrastructure while relying on maintenance arrangements to keep the systems functioning.
The approach allowed the emergency call centres to continue operating, but it also left the service dependent on technology that has since reached official end-of-support status.
That creates a different level of risk from ordinary ageing equipment.
When a system is no longer supported by its manufacturer, security vulnerabilities may not receive official patches and technical problems can become more difficult to resolve.
Cybersecurity Risk Becomes More Important
The end-of-support status of the Cisco infrastructure is particularly significant because 10111 handles sensitive information.
Callers can provide details about crimes, victims, suspects, locations and other circumstances requiring police intervention.
The systems used to receive and process those calls therefore form part of sensitive public-sector infrastructure.
Cachalia has specifically identified cybersecurity as one of the risks associated with the outdated infrastructure.
Modern communications systems are expected to receive security updates and technical support throughout their operational life.
Once a platform reaches end-of-support status, the institution operating it must either replace it or implement other measures to manage the associated risks.
For SAPS, replacing the infrastructure is therefore not simply a question of improving convenience.
It is also connected to the security and reliability of a system used to receive emergency information from the public.
A Replacement Process Is Underway
SAPS has submitted a procurement and technical request to SITA for a modern communications solution.
The proposed replacement is intended to improve network stability, cybersecurity compliance and system reliability.
The department also wants to ensure that communication between the relevant emergency centres and police structures operates more seamlessly.
However, the replacement process is not yet complete.
SAPS previously advertised a tender for an Incident Management System with Computer-Aided Dispatch capability.
That tender was cancelled in April 2026.
SITA is now preparing to republish the bid.
Until the procurement process is completed and a replacement system is implemented, the existing infrastructure will continue to support 10111 operations.
That creates a period during which SAPS must maintain an ageing system while simultaneously attempting to replace it.
Computer-Aided Dispatch Could Change The System
The proposed Incident Management System with Computer-Aided Dispatch capability could provide a more modern method of managing emergency incidents.
Computer-aided dispatch systems can help control-room personnel record incidents, categorise them, assign resources and monitor responses.
Modern systems can also integrate information from different sources and provide operators with a clearer picture of available police resources.
For a national emergency service handling millions of calls, improved incident management could potentially reduce some of the administrative pressure on operators.
However, the technology itself cannot solve every problem.
A sophisticated dispatch system still requires enough trained personnel to operate it.
It also requires functioning communications networks, reliable data and police resources available to respond to dispatched incidents.
Technology can therefore improve the system, but it cannot substitute for adequate staffing and operational capacity.
Staffing Shortages Remain A Major Problem
The second major challenge facing 10111 is the shortage of call-centre operators.
Cachalia said the number of available operators is not sufficient to consistently meet incoming call volumes, particularly during peak periods.
That creates the possibility of delays in answering calls.
A delay at the call-taking stage can affect the entire emergency-response chain.
The longer it takes to answer and process a call, the longer it can take for the complaint to reach the relevant police unit.
The problem is particularly serious when an emergency is developing rapidly.
SAPS is therefore assessing staffing requirements and considering interventions aimed at strengthening human-resource capacity.
The department previously implemented a reform project that included the allocation of 535 newly trained constables to 10111 centres.
However, the latest information indicates that staffing pressure remains.
Previous Data Showed High Abandoned Calls
The current staffing concerns are not new.
SAPS's own 2023/24 annual report recorded a national average abandoned-call rate of 26.44%.
The report also recorded average response times at some centres ranging between eight and 35 minutes.
The annual report warned that SAPS had not adequately established the capacity required to operate the 10111 emergency call centres.
It further noted that the weakness could affect the ability of the police service to respond effectively to community emergencies.
The historical data provides important context for the latest figures.
The current problem is therefore not simply an isolated technology failure.
It reflects a longer-running challenge involving staffing, infrastructure, call volumes and emergency-response management.
Millions Of Calls Enter The System
The scale of demand on 10111 is substantial.
SAPS's 2024/25 annual report recorded more than 8.5 million calls received by its 20 command centres during the financial year.
Approximately 845,795 of those were classified as police-related emergency calls.
The difference between total calls and police-related emergencies is important.
Emergency call centres receive many calls that are not genuine police emergencies.
Some may involve requests that should be directed to other government services.
Others may be general enquiries, accidental calls or misuse of the emergency number.
SAPS has warned that non-police-related calls place additional pressure on personnel and can make it more difficult to prioritise genuine emergencies.
Misuse Can Affect People In Danger
The police service has repeatedly urged members of the public to use 10111 only for genuine emergencies.
Misuse of the service can occupy an operator who could otherwise be dealing with a person facing immediate danger.
The same applies to prank calls or unnecessary calls.
When the number of incoming calls is high and staffing is limited, every unnecessary interaction increases pressure on the system.
However, public education alone cannot resolve the capacity problem.
Even a properly used emergency number requires adequate staffing and modern infrastructure.
The latest figures show that SAPS is dealing with both challenges simultaneously.
Multilingual Communication
South Africa's linguistic diversity creates another operational requirement for the emergency call centres.
Not every caller is equally comfortable communicating in English.
Cachalia said SAPS uses multilingual personnel where available to facilitate communication with callers.
This allows operators to assist people who speak different South African languages.
Language capability is particularly important during emergencies because confusion or misunderstanding can affect the accuracy of information provided to police.
The availability of multilingual personnel therefore forms part of the broader staffing requirement.
A modern emergency system needs not only enough operators but also sufficient language capacity to serve the country's population.
Emergency Information Must Be Accurate
The first stage of an emergency response is information gathering.
Operators need to establish where an incident is occurring, what is happening, whether anyone is injured, whether weapons are involved and what suspects may look like or where they may have gone.
Errors at this stage can affect the response that follows.
An inaccurate location can send police to the wrong area.
Incomplete information about suspects can affect officer safety.
Failure to identify the urgency of an incident can affect prioritisation.
This is why emergency call-taking is specialised work.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police has previously argued that 10111 operators need appropriate training, ongoing development, functioning equipment and psychological support.
Pressure On Operators
Call-centre operators work under considerable pressure.
They may receive multiple calls during periods when serious incidents are occurring simultaneously.
Some callers may be distressed, frightened or unable to provide clear information.
Operators must extract the relevant details while remaining calm and ensuring that the complaint is properly recorded.
Staff shortages can make these conditions more difficult.
When fewer operators are available, the workload per employee increases.
This can contribute to fatigue and may affect service quality.
Improving staffing therefore has implications not only for the number of calls answered but also for the working conditions of the personnel responsible for handling them.
The Reform Effort
SAPS has already recognised the need for reform.
The 10111 Reform Project Plan was introduced after earlier concerns about staffing and service performance.
The allocation of 535 newly trained constables to the centres formed part of that effort.
The current replacement plans represent another stage of reform.
However, the persistence of staffing shortages and obsolete technology indicates that reform is an ongoing process rather than a completed project.
For the system to improve sustainably, recruitment, training, technology replacement, performance monitoring and management accountability will need to operate together.
Public Confidence Is At Stake
The emergency call service is one of the most visible points of contact between the police and the public.
A person who calls 10111 during an emergency expects someone to answer and initiate a response.
When that does not happen, confidence in the police can be affected.
This is particularly significant in communities already experiencing high levels of crime.
If residents believe that contacting police will not produce a timely response, they may become reluctant to report incidents.
That can affect crime intelligence and the relationship between communities and law enforcement.
A reliable emergency-response system is therefore important not only for individual incidents but also for broader public confidence.
Modern Technology Could Improve Accountability
A new emergency-management system could also improve the ability of SAPS to monitor performance.
Digital systems can potentially record when calls are received, when they are answered, when complaints are created and when resources are dispatched.
This can create a clearer record of the emergency-response process.
Management can then identify where delays occur.
For example, a delay could arise because a call was not answered quickly enough, because dispatch was delayed, because a vehicle was unavailable or because the responding unit faced another operational constraint.
Better data can help distinguish these problems.
It can also support accountability by allowing managers to track performance more accurately.
Procurement Delays Matter
The cancelled 2025 tender for an Incident Management System demonstrates another challenge.
Public-sector technology procurement can take considerable time.
Specifications must be developed, tenders advertised, bids evaluated and contracts awarded.
If a tender is cancelled, the process can take even longer.
Meanwhile, the existing system continues operating.
In this case, the replacement tender is expected to be republished.
The delay means SAPS must continue managing the risks associated with the current infrastructure while the procurement process proceeds.
The Financial Question
The R19.3 million spent on GEMC3 and MDS over five years represents maintenance and operational support rather than a complete modernisation programme.
The key financial issue is therefore not simply how much money SAPS spent.
It is what the expenditure achieved.
Maintenance can keep an old system operational, but it does not necessarily extend the system's technological life indefinitely.
At some point, replacement becomes necessary.
The latest information suggests SAPS has reached that stage with at least part of the 10111 infrastructure.
The future cost of replacing the system will depend on the procurement specifications, technology selected and scale of implementation.
Emergency Response Is A Chain
The 10111 system is only the first part of a larger emergency-response chain.
A successful response requires several stages.
First, the caller must reach an operator.
Second, the operator must capture the information accurately.
Third, the incident must be categorised and prioritised.
Fourth, the complaint must be dispatched to an appropriate police unit.
Fifth, officers must be available and able to reach the location.
Finally, the incident must be recorded and followed up.
A failure at any stage can affect the final response.
Modernising 10111 can therefore improve one part of the chain, but wider policing capacity also matters.
Police Resources Still Matter
Even the most advanced call centre cannot send officers who are unavailable.
South Africa's police service continues to face wider personnel and resource pressures.
Police stations require sufficient officers, vehicles, equipment and communications infrastructure.
Emergency calls can therefore create demand that extends beyond the call centre.
If a large number of serious incidents occur simultaneously, available police resources may become stretched.
This is why emergency call-centre reform needs to be integrated with broader police planning.
The Need For Better Location Technology
Modern emergency systems can potentially make greater use of location information.
Caller-location technology can help emergency services determine where assistance is needed, particularly when callers are distressed or unable to provide a precise address.
Digital mapping can also help dispatchers identify nearby police resources.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police has previously called for modern caller-location, digital mapping and integrated dispatch technology for 10111.
These capabilities could be particularly valuable in informal settlements and areas where street addresses are difficult to identify.
However, their introduction would require appropriate privacy safeguards and reliable infrastructure.
Cybersecurity And Privacy Must Be Balanced
Modernising 10111 will also create new information-security responsibilities.
An advanced digital emergency system could contain large amounts of sensitive information.
That information needs to be protected against unauthorised access, cyberattacks and misuse.
At the same time, emergency systems need to be accessible to authorised personnel when incidents occur.
SAPS will therefore need to balance security with operational accessibility.
The minister's warning about the cybersecurity risks associated with obsolete infrastructure makes this issue particularly important.
The Public Still Needs 10111
Despite the problems, 10111 remains an essential service.
SAPS advises members of the public to use it for police emergencies.
The number is available 24 hours a day.
People calling should provide as much accurate information as possible and remain calm while speaking with the operator.
The caller should also keep the reference number provided by the operator.
For less serious matters and general enquiries, SAPS advises the public to contact their nearest police station rather than use the emergency line.
This helps keep the emergency system available for incidents requiring urgent police intervention.
What SAPS Must Address
The latest information points to several priorities.
The first is replacing the obsolete communications infrastructure.
The second is completing the procurement of the Computer-Aided Dispatch system.
The third is addressing staffing shortages.
The fourth is improving operator training and support.
The fifth is reducing unnecessary calls that consume emergency-centre capacity.
The sixth is strengthening performance monitoring so that response problems can be identified and corrected.
These measures need to be implemented together.
A new system without sufficient operators would leave a major problem unresolved.
More staff using obsolete technology would also leave important risks in place.
The Road Ahead
SAPS now has a clear indication of the weaknesses affecting 10111.
The technology supporting the service has reached an important point in its operational life.
The department has acknowledged that staffing levels are not sufficient to consistently meet demand.
Historical performance data has already shown high abandoned-call rates and long response times at some centres.
At the same time, millions of calls continue to enter the system every year.
The proposed replacement of obsolete infrastructure and introduction of computer-aided dispatch provide an opportunity to redesign the emergency-response system around modern technology.
But successful implementation will depend on procurement, funding, staffing and management.
The public ultimately does not experience a technology system or staffing establishment as separate components.
A person in danger experiences only one question: whether the police answer and send help.
A Test For Police Modernisation
The 10111 reform programme therefore represents a broader test of police modernisation in South Africa.
The country has invested heavily in digital technology across many areas of government.
Emergency policing requires similar attention because communication failures can have immediate consequences.
The next generation of 10111 infrastructure will need to be reliable, secure, scalable and capable of handling large volumes of information.
It will also need to work across provinces and connect emergency call centres with police units in the field.
The current procurement process will determine how quickly those capabilities become available.
What Happens Next
SAPS has formally requested a modern communications solution from SITA.
The tender for the Incident Management System with Computer-Aided Dispatch capability is expected to be republished after its earlier cancellation.
Meanwhile, the existing infrastructure will continue supporting 10111 operations.
SAPS is also assessing staffing requirements and measures aimed at improving operational efficiency.
The department will need to manage the risks identified by the acting police minister while maintaining uninterrupted emergency services.
The scale of the task is considerable.
More than eight million calls entered the 10111 command centres during the latest annual reporting period, although only a portion were classified as police-related emergencies.
The system must therefore be capable of separating genuine emergencies from other calls while ensuring that urgent incidents receive timely attention.
For South Africans, the importance of the issue is straightforward.
When someone witnesses a violent crime, faces an immediate threat or needs urgent police assistance, the emergency line can be the first connection to the state.
A modern emergency system should provide that connection reliably.
The latest figures show that SAPS still has work to do.
Approximately R19.3 million was spent maintaining key systems over five years, yet the main infrastructure was not modernised during that period.
One major communications platform has now reached end-of-support status.
Staffing remains below the level required to consistently meet peak demand.
And the replacement process is still moving through procurement.
The coming months will therefore be important for determining whether the promised reforms translate into a more reliable 10111 service.
For now, the emergency number remains operational, but SAPS faces the task of modernising both the technology behind it and the human capacity needed to ensure that when South Africans call for police assistance, their calls can be answered, processed and acted upon as quickly and effectively as possible.
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