Nearly 1.8 million calls to SAPS emergency number 10111 abandoned in one year

Imagine finding yourself in the middle of an armed robbery or witnessing a violent attack, reaching for your phone and calling the police, only to spend precious minutes waiting for someone to answer.

For thousands of South Africans, getting through to the police emergency line has become a serious concern. New figures reveal that nearly 1.8 million calls to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) 10111 emergency number were abandoned during the 2025/26 financial year.

The figures, disclosed by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia in a written parliamentary response, point to mounting pressure on the country’s emergency communication services.

Out of approximately nine million calls received nationally, 1 790 428 were abandoned, meaning roughly one in every five calls did not reach an operator.

Cape Town’s Maitland call centre records more than 377 000 abandoned calls

The figures are particularly concerning for communities relying on the Maitland emergency call centre, which serves Cape Town.

The centre recorded 377 121 abandoned calls over the financial year, representing almost three in every 10 calls.

Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal recorded an even higher abandonment rate of 56.4%, meaning more than half of its incoming calls were abandoned.

According to Cachalia, some callers hang up after waiting too long, while others are disconnected by the system.

He acknowledged that the number of available operators is “severely inadequate to meet public demand”, leaving people facing life-threatening emergencies struggling to reach assistance.

Staff shortages and unnecessary calls add to the pressure

The Acting Minister also identified hoax calls, nuisance complaints and general enquiries as factors placing additional pressure on already stretched emergency operators.

These calls consume valuable time that could otherwise be spent assisting people reporting serious incidents.

However, the figures have raised questions about whether SAPS has enough staff and functioning systems to manage the demand placed on its emergency services.

DA MP Ian Cameron, who chairs Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, said the latest statistics translate to almost 5000 abandoned calls every day.

He has called for an urgent recovery plan from the Acting Police Minister and the National Commissioner, including clear staffing requirements, functioning equipment, measurable performance targets and deadlines.

Questions remain about emergency response services

Cameron also raised concerns about SAPS being unable to provide three years of historical call figures for Maitland because of a reported system error.

He said concerns about staffing shortages, unreliable equipment and failures in police emergency communications had been raised repeatedly.

While not every abandoned call represents a genuine emergency, the inability to connect with an operator remains a serious concern for people who need immediate assistance.

For residents in areas affected by crime and violence, including parts of Cape Town, reliable access to police assistance is an important part of community safety.

Cameron says the police service must demonstrate that improvements are being made so that people can depend on 10111 when their lives or safety are at risk.

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