Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has withdrawn South Africa’s Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy after fictitious sources were found in its reference list.

According to IOL, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies had published the draft policy for public comment, with the closing date set for mid-June 2026. The policy was later withdrawn after it emerged that its integrity had been compromised by various fictitious sources in the reference list.

Malatsi said the failure was “not a mere technical issue” and had compromised the integrity and credibility of the draft policy. He said South Africans deserved better from a department tasked with leading the country’s digital policy environment.

AI Citations Under Scrutiny

Malatsi said the “most plausible explanation” was that AI-generated citations had been included without proper verification.

He said the lapse showed why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. He also said the department was treating the matter seriously and that there would be consequence management for those responsible for drafting and quality assurance.

The withdrawn draft policy proposed a new AI governance ecosystem. According to IOL, this included a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board, an AI Regulatory Authority, an AI Ombudsperson, a National AI Safety Institute and an AI Insurance Superfund.

The proposed fund was designed to compensate people harmed by AI systems in cases where liability was unclear.

Backlash Follows Withdrawal

The withdrawal drew criticism from Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko.

According to IOL, Sangoni-Diko called for the draft to be withdrawn, reviewed more rigorously and released again for public comment once the department had a product it could fully own.

The MK Party also criticised the matter, saying a national policy of this scale should pass through officials, advisers, legal teams, senior management and the minister’s desk.

The party said the failure to detect fabricated references was embarrassing and raised concerns about credibility, professionalism and public trust.

Trust is Now the Issue

The draft AI policy will now need to be reviewed before it can be released again for public comment.

For South Africans, this matters because AI policy will help shape how the country deals with new technology, digital safety, ethics and accountability.

A policy designed to guide artificial intelligence cannot afford unchecked errors in its own foundation.