South Africa - Network problems crippling Gauteng government

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Network problems crippling Gauteng government

September 27 2000 at 09:40PM

By Lynne Altenroxel

With three weeks to go before the start of matric exams, the provincial education department is installing a separate computer cable to bypass the provincial network, which has resulted in a series of computer glitches.

The welfare department is losing a day a week to computer problems and has developed a backlog in processing pension applications.

Computer problems have hit the province so badly that its entire computer network needs to be redesigned - a process which will take at least two months.

Informed sources have confirmed that all the province's departments have been hit by computer glitches and slow response times because all government computers are linked to the problematic network.

The entire computer network needs to be redesigned But while pensioners and the disabled have had problems accessing grants as a result, officials have been smart enough to ensure that their own salaries are not affected because these are paid through the Pretoria-based State Information Technology Agency (Sita).

A Sita spokesperson confirmed that all government salaries are managed by the national agency.

The beleaguered informatics department in charge of Gauteng's computer network is run from the premier's office and has been hit by the resignations of two of its four top officials, Mohammed Bhayat and Suleiman Patel.

Informatics department acting chief director Nafiso Moola declined to comment.

Shan Balton, acting director-general in the premier's office, initially denied knowledge of the problem, admitting to knowing about it only when asked about his participation in a meeting which he chaired on August 3.

The problems have been confirmed by Gerry Rees, director of social security in the department of social welfare, who briefed Gauteng's welfare portfolio committee at the instruction of Social Welfare MEC Peter Skosana.

The Welfare Department's problems include:

Eight hours of downtime a week due to computer glitches

A backlog of 1 546 pension applications, and the number is growing by the day

Over-expenditure that resulted from a programming error, which increased monthly payments to people receiving reduced grants.

Education department exams director Jenny Rault-Smith confirmed that the department was installing a dedicated line which bypassed the province's problematic network ahead of the matric exams.

Democratic Alliance provincial legislator Hermene Koorts said staff in the departments of welfare and local government had been working overtime on Saturdays in a bid to catch up on work lost due to computer glitches. "One can buy the best network, but without qualified and trained staff to work on the computers, all money is spent in vain," she said.

http://www.iol.co.za/general/newsview.php?click_id=6&art_id=ct20000927214009889G35213&set_id=1

-- Doris (groomlk@bellsouth.net), September 28, 2000

Answers

This is the kind of y2k problem we expected to be widespread in January.

-- Nancy& (nancy7@hotmail.com), September 28, 2000.

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