Following the split of the communications ministry and the resulting stalemate in decision-making, Gillwald – and the sector – is feeling 'bleak and depressed'. She was buoyed by working with former DoC minister Yunus Carrim on the implementation of SA Connect, government’s broadband policy and strategy that aims to have a 100-percent connected population by 2030, “only to see those gains eroded drastically and dramatically by political decision-making, and by apparent lack of understanding of the contribution that this sector can make to addressing the challenges we face: economic growth, job creation, building social capital,” she says.

How can we do better as a country? How can we learn from Kenya and put ICT seriously on the national agenda? How can we go decade in, decade out with a dysfunctional public broadcaster and a dysfunctional telecoms regulator? These are just a few questions Gillwald would like to see addressed at a national platform. “Wecannot continue to have appointments to critical institutions that are not delivering. We must make our parliament responsible for addressing the bottle necks. ICT has to be on the national agenda.” she says.