5B HOME AFFAIRS WANTS TO DELETE “SYSTEM OFFLINE” FROM SOUTH AFRICAN VOCABULARY

There are certain sentences that instantly change a South African’s mood. “Your licence disc has expired.” “There is no electricity.” And the final boss of government admin: “Sorry, the system is offline.” That one sentence has ended lunch breaks, destroyed leave days and sent grown adults back into society carrying nothing but a reference number and emotional damage. Now Home Affairs has launched a plan to strengthen the technology running its offices, with the goal of keeping its systems stable, secure and—brace yourself—actually available.