eNatis down, again

By Leon Engelbrecht, ITWeb senior writer

Johannesburg, 07 May 2007

Government's much-hyped electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis) is down this morning, the Transport Department says, as a fourth database server is being brought online to end the system's troubles.

"People shouldn't go to the traffic stations until after lunch... at around 2pm," Transport Department spokesman, Collen Msibi, advises. Msibi says the delivery of the server was delayed, which is why the installation is only being completed this morning.

Tasima MD, Johan Vorster, could not be reached for comment before publication. He told us on Friday the server, said to have a similar capacity as the other three combined, would be installed over the weekend and be operational by the start of business today. The system originally functioned on two servers, but a third was added just before the Freedom Day long-weekend.

It is not clear how many more servers will have to be added to give the system sufficient capacity to cope with demand, or why the eNatis designers thought the original two database servers would be sufficient. The organised motor retail industry has been complaining since the system was fired up on 13 April, that eNatis is unstable, unreliable and costing them business, as well as revenue. Government has asked them, and irate motorists, to remain patient.

According to its Web site, the Tasima consortium was formed in 2002 to manage the project, worth R311 million, for five years. The Business Report newspaper this morning said the contract expires at the end of this month.

Tasima is a self-contained business, owned in equal thirds by troubled state IT company arivia.kom, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Face Technologies; Thuthukani Information Technology Services and Webcom Consulting. Face is the main contractor.

Infrastructure requirements

Within the consortium, Face Technologies is responsible for software development, the national call centre, the national project office, training and business consulting. Thuthukani meets all network infrastructure requirements, while Webcom provides all hardware requirements, the site says.

The Business Report adds that Vorster, who was seconded to Tasima as MD from arivia.kom, was previously seconded as GM to Prodiba, the company administering a R650 million contract to manage the current credit-card style driver's licence system.

The Tasima Web site adds he is still "involved with Prodiba at an executive management level". The paper found this controversial, as Prodiba's other members are fraudster Schabir Shaik's Kobitech and Thomson CSF, now known as Thales, the French firm central to the fraud and corruption conviction of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma's erstwhile financial advisor, Schabir Shaik.

The Scorpions, who investigated Shaik, are now reportedly probing Mac Maharaj, transport minister at the time that the Prodiba tender was awarded, for allegedly receiving payments from Shaik. The transport department has indicated that a review of the Prodiba contract is under way and that it may be cancelled. Tasima's site also links Vorster to Armscor affiliate Advena, where he served as information manager. Advena was the manufacturer of SA's seven atomic bombs.