Actually Matsepe-Casaburri helped to engender a telecoms monopoly in South Africa that has lasted over a decade. This has extended beyond the Telkom-mess (still unbungling) to the rigid, backward and stifling internet environment which is only now receiving much needed oxygen. South Africa has remained well behind global trends in broadband connectivity and ordinary internet speed connections under her tenure.
Ironically, the the year of her death all of this is set to change with the connection of the SEACOM cable.
It is not polite or politically correct to speak ill of the dead, but I am not sure how it serves any purpose to do the opposite either.
Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri died of natural causes on Monday night, the presidency said. "She was admitted [to] hospital about three weeks ago. She hasn’t been at work for a long time because of her health," said Masebe.
Expressing his condolences to her family and friends, President Kgalema Motlanthe said the minister was "an outstanding leader and servant of the people of South Africa.
"In her various leadership capacities and responsibilities, she has served the country with distinction, honour and selflessness," said Motlanthe in a statement.
"With her incisive intellect she has made an invaluable contribution to the development of policy in various fields, including information and communication technology.
"On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa and... on my own behalf, I express heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri," he said.
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