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SADC countries prepare for millennium computer bug
aeroplanes may be affected..
Aeroplanes, which are computer-controlled, may be affected by the millennium bug.
by Caiphus Chimhete

Southern African states are making concerted efforts in dealing with the controversial millennium bug problem that could cause serious disruptions in industry, commerce, government and other services that use computers, but a great deal remains to be done.

The millennium bug, also known as Y2K, stems from the inability of older computer systems to deal with four-digit years. When the year 2000 comes they may turn to 00, which the computers could interpret as the year 1900.

The airlines, powerlines and telecommunications would also be affected by the millennium bug problem. Such devices as microwaves and videos will be in some cases be rendered obsolete and motorists with computers in vehicles could find themselves stranded.

Experts have urged SADC member states to set aside enough financial and human resources to deal with the millennium computer problem. Some countries have begun buying computer equipment that are Year 2000 compliant, among them, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Most governments are already spending billions of dollars to rectify the problem, and are also putting into place policies that will force other institutions and companies to do likewise, says Justin Chisenga of the Department of Information and Communications Studies at the University of Namibia.

Botswana’s minister in charge of the Year 2000 Forum, Joy Phumaphi says: “We have been working on the issue in government for some time. Our involvement with the UK-based National Computing Centre over recent months has prompted us to accelerate our reaction to it and take awareness of the problem beyond to the country as a whole.”

The director of Scientific Industrial Research Development Centre’s Informatics and Electronics Institute in Harare, Zimbabwe, Fortune Solani Mhlanga says one thing is clear in many countries: they are slowly becoming aware that they need to start addressing the problem expeditiously. These efforts will hopefully be coordinated as needed across the international boundaries.

Private enterprises are also making measures to curb the millennium bug problem. DHL International, Zimbabwe has upgraded its computer systems through a programme called a Year 2000 project and has assured its customers that no disruption will take place.

“DHL will ensure that customers can use services as usual beyond the year 2000,” says its business development manager Graham Coolican, who is the project coordinator.

In a communiqué from the SADC summit held in Mauritius in September 1998, member states agreed to “treat the year 2000 computer problem as an emergency and to allocate resources for initiatives seeking solutions on a top priority basis”. SADC leaders promised to discuss the millennium bug problem at length during this year’s SADC summit to be held in Lusaka, Zambia in February. The conference, which will address other issues related to technology, will be under the theme, “SADC in the next Millennium: The Challenges and Opportunities of Information Technology.”

However, experts say the region should move faster in dealing with the problem in their respective countries considering that the year 2000 is less than one year away and the huge financial support the whole process would require.

Analysts fear that some governments in the region could be pretending to be doing something about the problem when in fact they are doing nothing. They say most governments departments still use old non-compliant computers and do not have the money to change quickly unless donors chip in.

The US, Japan, UK and South Africa have already committed millions of dollars to deal with the millennium problem.

The World Bank is offering governments in developing countries some grants to boost the Y2K support initiatives and several African countries have shown interest in the Bank’s initiative. Statistics indicate that over 50 countries had applied for the loan by the end of 1998 but only nine were approved.

According to Joyce Ammenta, a Bank official, the project is divided into two parts: a series of seminars in foreign countries aimed at discussing the problem and finding “planning grants that identify weak areas that need to be shored up and develop strategies for remediation.”

As one computer expert said: “The year 2000 problem cannot be [ignored] and the date cannot be pushed back, the solution therefore, is to tackle the problem head-on in time to avoid panic and crisis management.”