Computer disaster looms at govt enclave

A court order by Justice Monametsi Gaongalelwe on February 29, gave the local IT companies the go-ahead to continue performing the service for government until a tender award, which usually takes two years to process, is completed. Government wanted to discontinue engaging private companies from February 29, 2012, in outsourcing for hardware maintenance and software support services for pc, server and peripheral systems at government services and departments, but private companies - some of whom have been providing the services to government for 20 years - have warned government risks triggering disaster of cosmic proportions by leaving the work in the hands of its inexperienced personnel.

The business is worth P60 million a year to the five IT companies engaged by government. The IT companies are also said to employ over 500 Batswana IT professionals and ancillary staff.