The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) has confirmed that the service delivery of a number of government department\u2019s was affected on Monday 13 August 2018 for 95 minutes, as the SITA network was down from 10h05 \u2013 11h40.<\/p>\n
“While services were restored, SITA is deeply concerned by these unprecedented network outages \u2013 noting especially that it has happened over the past two working days – when citizens require services from government,” it said.<\/p>\n
“The SITA Centurion site is a national key point that houses SITA\u2019s Network Operation Centre, and is at the heart of the government network.<\/p>\n
“The engineering report received today indicated that 1hr35 minute outage; is related to the first power outage that happened on Friday: 10 August 2018 in Centurion; due to the Eskom power failure. On Friday, the networks were down during the peak hours from 08h00 to 14h30.”<\/p>\n
According to SITA, on Monday morning the Broadband Infraco (BBI) transmission equipment – inside the SITA Centurion Switching Centre which had been running on battery power since the power outage on Friday – was depleted.<\/p>\n
It added that SITA engineers are currently investigating why the transmission system failed to switch back to the standard power grid; which would be the standard operating procedure.<\/p>\n
“SITA sincerely apologises to all government departments; and citizens for the inconvenience caused during this time. SITA also wants to assure government and the public; that we are determined to comprehensively investigate these two related – but unprecedented incidents – to ensure that government and citizens don\u2019t experience this situation in the future.”<\/p>\n
“Given the incident this morning SITA will be approaching the matter differently; and con-currently investigate both incidents as a single occurrence – to get behind the cause of the problem. While the investigation is being done; SITA will immediately work to improve all its incident recovery procedures \u2013 and take these two extraordinary incidences – as a new and real learning curve.”<\/p>\n
As more information on this matter becomes available SITA said it would update all stakeholders.<\/p>\n
“SITA fully recognises that government and the nation must have \u2013 and indeed deserve – answers that will give all stakeholders the comfort that the matter is resolved.”<\/p>\n