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MzansiShield is a community safety, service-delivery and utilities-information app for South Africa. We process your personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). We are the responsible party; our Information Officer can be reached at consulting@sysrely.com.

What we collect: your email or phone number and display name (for sign-in), your optional profile photo, the reports, confirmations, replies and photos you create, the location you attach to a report or utilities check, and technical data such as your IP address and device type (used for security and to prevent abuse).

Why: to create and secure your account and send sign-in PINs, to publish the content you choose to submit, to show local information (load-shedding, water, nearby alerts), to prevent abuse, and to comply with the law.

Your posts are public. Reports, alerts and comments are visible to other users. Your display name and the location you attach are shown; your email and phone number are never shown publicly. Please don't post personal information — yours or others' — that you don't want shared.

Who we share with: service providers who process data on our behalf under contract — hosting (Netlify), email delivery (Microsoft 365), load-shedding/water data (EskomSePush), maps/geocoding (OpenStreetMap and others), bot-protection and analytics (Cloudflare) and error diagnostics (Sentry). Some are outside South Africa; such transfers are made only with appropriate protection under POPIA. We do not sell your information, and we may disclose information where the law requires it.

Retention & your control: we keep your information while your account is active. Sign-in PINs are deleted within minutes. You can edit or delete your posts, remove your photo, or delete your profile and its data at any time (Delete profile, below).

Security: we use HTTPS, one-time PIN sign-in, signed sessions, access controls and rate-limiting. No system is perfectly secure.

Children: the app is for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect a child's information without a guardian's consent.

Your rights: you may access, correct or delete your information, object to processing, or withdraw consent — contact consulting@sysrely.com. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.

By using MzansiShield you agree to these terms. You must be 18 or older and use the app lawfully in South Africa.

Not an emergency service. This app shares community information; it does not replace official services and reports are not guaranteed to be seen or acted upon. In an emergency contact SAPS 10111, medical services 10177, or your municipality directly.

Post truthfully. Deliberately false crime alerts or service reports can endanger people and are prohibited.

Be respectful and lawful. No harassment, hate speech, threats, defamation, or sharing others' personal information (doxxing). Only post images you have the right to share.

Child safety — zero tolerance. Any content that sexualises, abuses or endangers a child is strictly prohibited. We remove such content, preserve evidence, ban the account, and report to the South African Police Service and the Film and Publication Board as required by law. To report a child-safety concern, use Report on the post or email consulting@sysrely.com; if a child is in immediate danger call 10111.

Moderation. Users can report content; content that is reported enough is automatically hidden pending review. We may review, hide or remove any content and suspend accounts that breach these terms.

Your content. You keep ownership of what you post and are responsible for it, and you grant us a licence to display and distribute it to operate the app. Content that breaks these terms may be removed.

Utility data. Load-shedding and water information comes from third parties and community reports and may be inaccurate, incomplete or delayed.

"As is". The app is provided "as is" without warranties, to the extent permitted by law, and is governed by South African law.

Optional. The app may already provide live load-shedding for everyone. Paste your own free EskomSePush token here to use your own daily quota instead. Get one at eskomsepush.gumroad.com.

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Get a notification when a new crime alert or issue is reported near your last known location — even when the app is closed.

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Load-shedding prep. Keep devices and a power bank charged. Store water for cooking and flushing. Keep a torch and spare batteries handy. Switch off appliances at the plug to protect them from surges when power returns. Never run a generator indoors.

Water outage prep. Store drinking water (2–3 litres per person per day). Fill bottles and containers before planned maintenance. Keep a bucket of water near the toilet for flushing. Don't drink discoloured water when supply returns — run the tap until it clears.

Personal safety. Stay aware of your surroundings, especially at night and near ATMs, taxi ranks and quiet streets. Keep your phone charged and share your location with someone you trust. Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, leave.

After a break-in. Don't touch anything — preserve evidence. Call 10111. Once safe, report it here so neighbours are warned. Photograph damage for insurance. Change locks and check entry points.

In an emergency, always call the official services first — SAPS 10111 or Ambulance 10177. MzansiShield is not an emergency service.

Accounts you've blocked don't appear in your feed, search or maps. Unblock them here to see their posts again.

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you — your profile, posts and replies — or ask for it to be corrected or deleted.

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Send data access, correction or deletion requests to consulting@sysrely.com. We respond as required by POPIA.