Overview
- Minister Solly Malatsi confirmed Sunday that an internal review found fictitious sources in the draft’s reference list and he withdrew the policy.
- The document had cleared Cabinet in late March and was out for public comment until 10 June, a process now halted with no new timeline set.
- News24’s checks flagged unverifiable citations, and parliamentary committee chair Khusela Diko publicly urged Malatsi to withdraw the draft.
- Officials say the most likely cause was AI “hallucination,” where a tool invents citations that look credible but do not exist.
- The withdrawal stalls proposals to set up a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board, and an AI regulator with tax breaks and grants to spur industry collaboration.