A 29-year-old woman from Kopermyn village in Ga-Maja outside Polokwane has launched the emergency and crime-fighting app she began building in 2022.
The tool sends distress alerts and shares live location details so responders can act quickly.
The app is available on the Google Play Store and works with a USSD code. The USSD option lets people without smartphones report crimes and request medical help. Local emergency medical services say the app feeds notifications straight to their control room for a fast response.
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Mapula Mailula, the developer, says the app aims to reduce gender-based violence and protect neighbours.
‘In case of emergency, such as GBV, if your neighbour is being abused, you can just tap on whistleblower,’ she told SABC News.
‘You do not need to register. You can enter the details and send the alert.’Gerhard Jacobs, an assistant at a private emergency medical service, describes how teams respond.
‘The notification will go through to our control room, where they will send us the location and what the problem is. We will immediately respond to the call.’
Community leaders and health workers say the app could change how rural areas report crime and receive help. Early users report quicker dispatch times and clearer information for responders.
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