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Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi seen attending a meeting.
Parliament’s Communications and Digital Technologies Committee Chairperson Khusela Diko says Minister Solly Malatsi will soon be hauled before Parliament to account for the withdrawal of the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Malatsi withdrew the draft policy after revelations by the department that it contains fictitious sources in its references.
The minister says his department will treat the matter with the gravity it deserves.
However, Diko says the committee will process two complaints against the department.
She says, “Fortunately, consequences are going to have to follow, and Parliament does need accountability from the minister in this regard. As the chairperson, I have already received two letters from the African National Congress and Umkhonto Wesizwe Party requesting that we invite the minister to the Portfolio Committee so that he may elaborate on how such a matter would have happened. I mean, the AI policy was really supposed to be the bedrock and one of the most transformative technologies of this 21st century. It’s really disappointing that the department would fall into some of the ills and challenges that define the use of AI, and that they would have considered this matter better”.
According to Malatsi, an internal accountability process is currently underway for officials who drafted the policy.
“The most plausible explanation is that the AI citations were included without proper verifications. This should not have happened. In fact, this is unacceptable and puts oversight as to why the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It’s a lesson we take with humility, and I want to reassure the country that we are treating this matter with the gravity it deserves,” said Malatsi.
Statement on the integrity of the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy
Following revelations that the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy published for public comment contains various fictitious sources in its reference list, we initiated internal questions…
— SollyMalatsi (@SollyMalatsi) April 26, 2026
VIDEO | Malatsi has apologised to South Africans for the fake citations contained in the draft policy:
