Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi.
Two officials within the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) have been placed on precautionary suspension following the discovery of fabricated sources in the reference list of the Draft South Africa Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.
The department had previously published the draft AI policy for public comments, with the closing date of mid-June 2026.
The draft policy proposed the formation of a new AI governance ecosystem, including 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 designed to compensate individuals harmed by AI systems in cases where liability is unclear.
However, Minister Solly Malatsi was forced to withdraw the policy after it emerged that the integrity of the policy was compromised as it contained various fictitious sources in its reference list.
