The rules for using Watchit.

Short, because there is not much to them. Last updated 22 August 2026.

Draft. To be reviewed before publication; items marked [TO CONFIRM] need a decision.

Watchit is not an emergency service

In an emergency, call 10111 (police) or 112. Watchit helps communities see and share what is happening, and will in time help you reach the people around you quickly. It does not replace the police, ambulance or fire services, and it cannot guarantee that anyone will respond to anything.

Reports

Report what you saw or what you have good reason to believe happened. Do not make things up, and do not use Watchit to accuse, harass or target a person.
Reports are public. Anyone can see them. Do not put anything in a report — including a photo — that you would not want everyone to see.
Do not include names, faces, number plates or other details that identify a person unless they are essential to what happened. [TO CONFIRM: the house rule on photos of people and vehicles]
You can correct your own report for an hour after submitting it. After that, write to us if something needs changing.
We may remove a report that breaks these rules, and we may stop anyone who abuses Watchit from using it.

Accounts

You do not need an account to report or to look at the map.
If you create one, keep your password to yourself and tell us if you think someone else has it.
Responder, analyst and administrator accounts are given by Eval Geniuses or by the watch or company you work with, and can be taken away.

Your content

What you report stays yours. By submitting it you allow us to show it to everyone, to keep it as part of the public record, and to count it in statistics about areas. We do not sell your reports or your information — see the privacy policy.

Free for citizens

Watchit is free for the people who live in the neighbourhoods it covers, and will stay free for them.

What we are responsible for

We run Watchit carefully, but we cannot promise it will always be available, that every report is accurate, or that help will arrive. To the extent the law allows, Eval Geniuses is not liable for loss that comes from relying on Watchit. Nothing here limits rights the Consumer Protection Act or any other law gives you that cannot be limited.

Changes and law

We may update these terms; the date at the top tells you when. South African law applies, and the courts of South Africa have jurisdiction. [TO CONFIRM: governing law and dispute clause with a lawyer]