This is how VigiNote ZA decides what to publish and how we put things right. Last updated 27 October 2026.
What we do
We read public sources: official bodies such as Parliament, the police service, courts, municipalities and regulators, and established newsrooms. We turn what we find into a short, plain summary with a link to the original.
How a story gets published
Our system collects items from listed sources and groups reports of the same event.
Each item is given a topic, a place and a seriousness colour: Severe, Alert, Watch or Quiet.
A person reviews it. Nothing is published until it has been approved. Instagram posts need a separate approval.
We show where the information came from and how well it is corroborated: official source, several outlets, or a single source.
What we will not do
Copy other people's articles. We publish a headline, a short summary and a link only.
Name suspects or people not yet convicted, or publish details that could identify victims, children or witnesses.
Present a rumour as fact. Single-source and unconfirmed items are labelled as such.
Call a province or area "safe". The colours show what has been reported, not a safety rating. A place with no stories is simply quiet.
Accept payment to change, hide or promote a story. If we ever carry sponsorship, it will be clearly labelled and will not influence what we report.
Independence
VigiNote ZA is independent and not affiliated with any political party, company or government body.
Corrections
If we get something wrong we correct it promptly and publicly, in the Corrections list on the news app, and we do not quietly delete errors. To report a mistake, email support@viginote.co.za or message @viginote on Instagram. Tell us which story it is and what you believe is wrong, ideally with a source.
Using Instagram posts
Our Instagram posts summarise stories already published on VigiNote and link back to the original publisher. Stock photographs, where used, are illustrative only and are labelled as such; they do not show the event reported.