ALAN FINLAY, Johannesburg | Tuesday 2.00pm.
THE Ministry for Provincial and Local Government said all 812 municipalities which provide essential services to the public, are well on their way to becoming Y2K compliant before the millenium change over.
The cost of analysing and ‘de-bugging’ municipal systems is estimated at some R400-million.
While the North West Province, which is 58% Y2K ready, tails the other eight provinces; the Northern Cape is 62% compliant; the Western Cape 65%; KwaZuluNatal 70%; Gauteng 71%; the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga 72%; and the Northern Province 77%. The Free State is the most ready for the millenium bug being 78% compliant.
The ministry said the results are “heartening”.
The Y2K assessment programme is being managed by a Section 21 company called M2k, set up specifically to deal with the looming millenium crisis.
“Electrical system assessment took top priority and this has been completed for all municipalities,” M2k Chief Executive Officer Ingrid Blignault said in a statement on Monday.
While the private sector is expected to fund M2K, municipalities are required to pay for the remediation work, with the help of government where necessary. It’s anticipated some 30% of the 812 municpalities will require either financial or technical assistance. About R170-million of the R400-million has already been spent.
The chairman of M2K, Clem Sunter, said his company has so far raised R5,8-million of the R14-million needed for it to do its job. He has appealed to companies throughout the country to support the initiative.
M2K is expected to complete a full analysis of municipalities by the end of September. So far only 242 municipalities have been properly analysed.