Govt not spying on you - Ndabeni-Abrahams
Government will ramp up efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus by using cell phone data to trace people who might have come into contact with a Covid-19 carrier.
Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says geo-location from phones will be used to trace possible contacts.
Speaking in Pretoria on Tuesday, where various ministers provided an update on the 21-day lockdown regulations, Ndabeni-Abrahams said a nearby cell phone tower will collect data from people close to each other and can be later used to trace those people should the need arise.
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The two companies made the donation to the Department of Health on Thursday. The phones will be used by more than 10 000 tracers who are tasked with tracing and locating individuals infected by the deadly virus. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says while the department appreciates the donation, it's still in need of more resources in the fight against Covid-19.
The announcement has been met with concern that government will have access to sensitive information on people’s cell phones without a court order.
But Ndabeni-Abrahams moved to allay these fears.
“When we say we are going to use cell phone numbers, it doesn’t mean we take anybody’s number.
“The Department of Health will then seek information permission from the ECNS licenses to say we have these people that have tested positive, can you therefore give us the geo-location,” she explained.
Ndabeni-Abrahams said government would respect the privacy of its citizens.
“We do respect that everyone has a right to privacy, but in a situation like this our individual rights do not supersede the country’s rights.
“This is not spying on anyone,” Ndabeni-Abrahams assured.