{
  "id": 10896206,
  "title": "Surge in GBV calls puts emergency response under scrutiny",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/surge-in-gbv-calls-puts-emergency-response-under-scrutiny-10896206",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T08:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/capetimes/2026-09-30-surge-in-gbv-calls-puts-emergency-response-under-scrutiny2/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Calls to South Africa's Gender-Based Violence Command Centre surged between September 1 and 16, with an average of 424 calls per day, according to the Department of Social Development. The spike in calls, particularly between September 13 and 16, saw around 500 calls daily, compared to the average of 399 in the first 12 days of September. This surge in calls has prompted scrutiny of the emergency response systems, including the SAPS 10111 policing service. Member of Parliament Ian Cameron noted that about 45% of operational 10111 centers were operating with reduced line capacity. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia stated that SAPS spent R19.3 million on the 10111 systems over five financial years but made no capital investment to modernize its three main systems. Gender specialist Lisa Vetten highlighted the need to consider the ability of emergency services to respond alongside the increasing number of women seeking help. She expressed concerns over the failure of SAPS 10111 emergency response ability, particularly as delays in police intervention could leave women exposed to further violence. Vetten emphasized that a dysfunctional emergency system could reinforce an abusive partner's sense of power. Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike stressed that the issue extends beyond whether a telephone is answered, highlighting the need to examine the entire protection chain from prevention to the state's response and what happens to survivors afterwards. SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe assured that the police service is continuously monitoring the operational capacity of its 10111 emergency call centers and addressing challenges related to telephone-line capacity and infrastructure.",
  "summary": "More women seek GBV help as emergency response gaps emerge",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Surge in GBV calls puts emergency response under scrutiny",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/surge-in-gbv-calls-puts-emergency-response-under-scrutiny",
        "published": "2026-09-30T05:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}