Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is looking into the institution's backend IT systems to determine how a "hidden" pre-prepared obituary for former president Nelson Mandela found its way to the online community yesterday.
According to the university, a system that has been used successfully for about six years - enabling hidden files to be published against the clock when necessary - failed yesterday, making a hidden Wits tribute to SA's ailing former president available via Google's search engine.
This is at least the second such slip-up recently enabled by the immediacy and ubiquitous nature of the World Wide Web. Last week Friday a German publication, Deutsche Welle, had to publish a retraction after a report stating Mandela had died was "unintentionally published" due to a "technical error" that made it available via search engines.
While the mistake has caused a flurry of initial panic, followed by comment and criticism via social media platforms, the university says it "at no stage" issued or published the statement - entitled "Hamba kahle Tata Mandela" (Farewell [our] Father Mandela) - on its Website.
Wits says a "technical error" was responsible for the untimely availability of the statement that was "hidden on [Wits'] systems".
Wits detached the post from the eyes of the online community as soon as it got wind of its availability, and issued a public apology, online (via its Web site and Facebook page), to Mandela's family members, friends, fellow South Africans and global citizens.
Investigation underway
Wits says it regrets what is says was a "mishap" and has vowed to get to the root of the technical error and ensure the responsible departments are held accountable.
Wits communications official Shirona Patel says the university is conducting an internal investigation - still underway as at noon today - to determine "how a search engine [Google] could access hidden, unpublished files from the Wits system".
Based on the results of the investigation, says Patel, the university will hold the responsible people or departments accountable for the breach in line with its standard policies, processes and procedures.
Patel says the university is working tirelessly at getting to the source of the problem, as the consequences of such incidents present significant reputational and professional risks to the university, which is mandated to stick to strict academic paper embargoes.
Meanwhile, she says, Wits will take every precaution to ensure its hidden files are in no way able to be accessed prematurely, by steering clear of using the system until reasons and resolution have been established.
"We hope to have an interim report ready by Monday."
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