Minister Malatsi forced to withdraw AI policy after fabricated sources found

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, was forced to withdraw the Draft South Africa Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy after it was found to contain fabricated sources in its reference list. The draft proposed the formation of a new AI governance ecosystem and was criticized by Khusela Sangoni-Diko, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, who called for a rigorous review before any re-release. The public comment period for the draft was set to close in mid-June 2026.