The African National Congress (ANC) wants minister Solly Malatsi to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies to account for the now-withdrawn draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.
This is one of the demands made by the ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies in a statement, noting that Malatsi must “account fully for the circumstances that led to the drafting and gazetting of the policy document”.
The statement, signed by ANC MP and whip of the study group Shaik Subrathie, further wants the minister to provide Parliament with a full scope of the internal review process. This includes the officials responsible for the drafting and quality assurance of the document, as well as whether consequence management measures have been or will be instituted.
It also wants Malatsi’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) to commit to a “genuine consultative process driven by human expertise and rigorous evidence, not Al-generated shortcuts, in redrafting the national Al policy”.
“We are deeply troubled that a document of this magnitude that is intended to guide South Africa's approach to arguably the most transformative technology of the 21st century…was drafted without the basic human oversight required to verify whether its foundational references and evidence base were real,” reads the statement.
“We are particularly troubled that this incident reflects a broader, troubling trend of substituting genuine intellectual work and evidence-based policymaking for Al-generated output presented as rigorous policy analysis. South Africans expect their government to do the work, not outsource the nation’s most consequential policy documents to tools known to hallucinate fabricated facts and non-existent sources.”
Furore erupted at the weekend when it emerged that South Africa’s framework for AI had fictitious sources in the 67 references cited in the policy document.
News24 uncovered that fake and made-up research was used to draft the country’s draft National AI Policy. The news outlet stated that several of the academic journals cited in the policy document were “completely fictitious”.
Malatsi confirmed the news report in a statement on Sunday, saying internal questioning subsequently revealed various fictitious sources in the policy’s reference list.
This prompted his decision to withdraw the policy, as the integrity and credibility of the draft policy had been compromised.
“I am withdrawing the draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy. South Africans deserve better,” he said. “The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies did not deliver on the standard that is acceptable for an institution entrusted with the role to lead South Africa’s digital policy environment. The most plausible explanation is that AI-generated citations were included without proper verification. This should not have happened.
“In fact, this unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It’s a lesson we take with humility.”
In a follow-up interview with public broadcaster SABC’s Morning Live, Malatsi said as the executive authority, he takes responsibility for the lack of “robust oversight”. He added that the “breakthrough” moment for South Africa, in terms of policy-making, has been stained by the massive lapse to verify the credibility of some of the sources used in the reference list.
He also conceded that despite going through multiple institutional processes before the document was publicly released, they completely “missed” to pick up the issues that led to its withdrawal.
The Democratic Alliance’s Malatsi has been at the helm as the executive authority of the communications ministry since July 2024, under the Government of National Unity.
The DCDT is charged with leading SA’s digital transformation through policy and a regulatory environment. His department also exercises oversight of 11 state-owned entities.
With AI infiltrating almost every industry, policymakers across the global community have increasingly focused on its regulation. This, to ensure AI is created responsibly and ethically from the start, to ensure citizens, businesses and governments are protected from some of the potential AI risks.
Key among the areas the minister’s department is responsible for is making sure South Africa has a national AI policy. As a result, earlier this month, Cabinet approved the publication of the draft South Africa AI Policy for public comment, with the policy likely to be implemented in the 2027/28 financial year.
On 10 April, the draft policy was published, formally opening a 60-day public consultation period, with written input invited by 10 June.
According to Cabinet, the policy aims to strengthen government's ability to regulate and adopt AI responsibly, while encouraging local innovation, supporting job creation and improving access to AI skills.
The DCDT previously indicated that it seeks development outcomes, such as improved public service delivery, expanded digital economic participation and enhanced quality of life for citizens.
The policy was structured around six core pillars aimed at promoting the responsible development and ethical deployment of AI:
- Capacity and talent development.
- AI for inclusive growth and job creation.
- Responsible governance.
- Ethical and inclusive AI.
- Cultural preservation and international integration.
- Human-centred deployment.
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