Solly Malatsi Withdraws Faulty AI Draft Policy After Hallucinations Found
GAUTENG– The Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Solly Malatsi, said that consequences will follow after he withdrew the draft AI policy on 26 April 2026. The policy was found to have fabricated references and inaccuracies.
Malatsi posted a statement on his @SollyMalatsi X account. The statement followed intense backlash from the public for the draft policy. Malatsi conceded that the department was at fault and promised that consequences management would be implemented.
Source: Twitter
Solly Malatsi withdraws draft AI policy
In his statement, Malatsi admitted that the failure compromised the draft policy’s integrity and credibility. He remarked that South Africans deserve better and conceded that the department did not deliver on the standard that is acceptable.
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“This unacceptable lapse proves why vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical. It's a lesson we take with humility. I want to reassure the county that we are treating this matter with the gravity it deserves,” he said.
Read the statement on X here:
What did South Africans say?
Netizens were disappointed in the department.
Mpho Pila said:
“This is fatuity at its highest degree!! At your level, you could have easily contacted Prof Marwala for assistance as he was heading the 4IR commission.”
Ndlombango ka Tomasz said:
“Imagine using AI sources for a draft AI national policy without checking the authenticity of those sources.”
Grateful said:
“This is unacceptable. You should have gone through this very important document with a fine-tooth comb.”
Makwena Manamela slammed Malatsi, who denied in 2025 that the government's BBBEE amendments accommodate Elon Musk's Starlink.
“There is no apology in this statement, minister. Instead, you shift the blame to your subordinates, and yet you are the one who took an oath to serve the people of South Africa.”
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Source: Briefly News
