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Sunday Times Daily reports that to avert a salary payment crisis within the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), last-minute decisions kept vital computer servers functioning despite their air conditioning systems not working.
An internal SANDF document revealed last week that if the computer servers were to be protected from damage caused by overheating, they would have to be shut down. However, shutting down the systems, would have resulted in the SANDF’s 72,000 members, including reserve force members and civilian employees, not being paid their monthly salaries. SANDF members are paid on the 15th of every month. A source within the SANDF said: “A last-minute decision was taken by senior commanders to keep the systems running. The operation of the systems and the ultimate payment of salaries were deemed far more important than the systems crashing. The problem is the air conditioning systems, which are critical to keeping the servers at a regulated operational temperature, are still faulty. The problem has not been solved — it has just been moved to next month. Repairs were done in November to the air conditioners, but they broke again, with the problems from then reoccurring now.” Pikkie Greeff of the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) confirmed that defence force members had been paid their February salaries. He noted: “Every day the air conditioners are not fixed, the risk of the servers breaking down increases. Sooner rather than later the servers will become inoperable.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Graeme Hosken at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page