Software glitch leaves thousands of SA grant recipients in the dark

At the starting of September, a software program glitch prompted grant recipients in South Africa to not have entry to their funds. The purpose has now been unveiled as an ongoing battle between the contracted system suppliers.

On Wednesday, members of the South African parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development have been briefed a few software program glitch at the starting of September. The glitch, which left thousands of grant recipients in limbo was brought on by an ongoing concern between supplier Postbank and its subcontractor, Electronic Connect.

According to Groundup, on July 31, Electronic Connect threatened to droop the service by midnight except its invoices have been settled by Postbank. The firm advised Postbank it was owed R1.9 million for May and R1.7 million for June. From July onward, it additionally needed to be paid 10 cents per cost authorisation, in accordance with the settlement between Postbank and Electronic Connect.

Following the risk, Postbank approached the excessive courtroom, stating that it couldn’t pay the excellent invoices as a result of of ongoing investigations into Postbank and that the National Treasury had not accredited the settlement between the two firms as a result of it didn’t adjust to public procurement protocols.

Postbank requested the courtroom enable it to make the backlog of funds amidst the investigations and to order Electronic Connect to proceed offering the “payment switch” software program, a request which was granted on August 2. Postbank additionally settled the pending invoices.

Afterwards, the entity (Postbank), which is a subsidiary of the Post Office, appointed a brand new supplier for the cost swap, though Electronic Connect nonetheless runs the core banking platform. The migration to the cost swap of the new supplier prompted the glitch which on September 4 left thousands of outdated age grant recipients unable to entry their R2 080 grant on their SASSA/Postbank playing cards.

GroundUp stories that the “glitch” was brought on by insufficient testing on the new cost system. The system reportedly handles about 20 million transactions a month and site visitors peaks on grant cost days at the begin of every month.

According to authorities knowledge, 29 million folks in South Africa obtain month-to-month grants, representing about 47% of the inhabitants. 18 million South Africans obtain state welfare grants, with one other 11 million counting on the state’s R350 grant. About 35% of the grant recipients, round 6.3 million folks, obtain their cash by means of the on-line system, which pays the cash into their SASSA/Postbank playing cards.

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