The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s (DOJ&CD’s) systems have been disrupted by a Windows 11 malfunction linked to a recent Microsoft security update.
The DOJ&CD is a key government department in South Africa responsible for overseeing the country’s justice system and ensuring legal processes operate efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the Constitution.
According to Microsoft, the error primarily affected USB-connected keyboards and mice in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), preventing users from performing system repairs or resets.
Microsoft acknowledged the problem and released an out-of-band fix to resolve the malfunction.
Says the company: “After installing the Windows security update released on 14 October 2025 (KB5066835), USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, do not function in the Windows Recovery Environment.
“This issue prevents navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE. Note that the USB devices continue to work normally within the Windows operating system.”
The Windows 11 update KB5066835 is a required security patch for versions 24H2 and 25H2, and it is installed automatically.
The issue came after the US-based software giant recently stopped providing support in security updates, software patches, or technical support for the Windows 10 operating system.
“This issue was resolved by the Windows out-of-band update, released 20 October 2025 (KB5070773), and updates released after that date. We recommend you install the latest update for your device as it contains important improvements and issue resolutions, including this one.”
While normal Windows 11 operations were largely unaffected, the glitch highlighted the risks associated with critical security updates and underscored the importance of testing patches in sensitive environments.
In a statement, DOJ&CD says this is a widespread issue that has impacted numerous organisations worldwide and has resulted in system failures and operational disruptions across several environments.
“While the matter is external to the department, the DOJ&CD is working closely with Microsoft engineers to restore affected devices and services as a matter of urgency. Restoration efforts are currently underway and will continue over the coming days and weeks.
“The department regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the public and stakeholders, and assures all concerned that every effort is being made to fully restore services as soon as possible.”
The system disruption comes after in August, the department suspended Jabu Hlatshwayo, deputy director-general for ICT and chief information officer, over delays in the start of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
This is not the first time the department’s IT systems have suffered an outage. In 2022, the DOJ&CD was hit by ransomware that led to all information systems being encrypted and unavailable to internal employees, as well as members of the public.
As a result of the attack, all electronic services provided by the department were affected, including the issuing of letters of authority, bail services, e-mail and the departmental website.
After the cyber attack, the Information Regulator slapped the department with a R5 million fine for contravening the Protection of Personal Information Act.
Last year, the department blamed insiders for an IT incident that affected electronic child maintenance payments.
This, after it had advised the public its electronic payment system for third-party funds, including child maintenance, had been temporarily suspended following attempts to compromise the system.
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