The South African government has pulled its proposed AI policy after discovering unverifiable citations generated by AI, prompting renewed calls for human oversight in AI-driven policy development.
South Africa has withdrawn its draft national artificial intelligence policy after officials discovered that its reference list included fictitious sources, a blunder that has prompted fresh debate about the need for human checks when AI is used in public policy work. Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi said the problem undermined the draft’s credibility and could not be treated as a minor drafting error.
According to Malatsi, an internal review confirmed that the document contained unverifiable citations, which appeared to have been generated by AI without proper verification. He said the episode showed why “vigilant human oversight over the use of artificial intelligence is critical”, and added that the matter would face consequence management for those responsible for drafting and quality assurance.
The draft had only recently entered the public consultation process. Reuters reported that Cabinet approved the framework on 25 March and that it was published for comment on 10 April, with submissions due by 10 June. South African media reported that the text envisaged a national AI commission, an ethics board and a regulatory authority, alongside proposals on compensation for harm linked to AI use and investment in cloud infrastructure and computing capacity.
The withdrawal is particularly awkward for a policy intended to help position South Africa as a continental leader in AI governance. Malatsi, who serves in the Government of National Unity as a member of the Democratic Alliance, described the episode as a lesson taken “with humility”, while stressing that the government would treat the matter seriously.
Source Reference Map
Inspired by headline at: [1]
Sources by paragraph:
- Paragraph 1: [2], [4]
- Paragraph 2: [2], [3], [5], [6], [7]
- Paragraph 3: [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]
- Paragraph 4: [2], [3], [7]
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The news is current, with reports from April 27, 2026, confirming the withdrawal of South Africa’s draft AI policy due to fictitious sources in its reference list. ([mg.co.za](https://mg.co.za/article/2026-04-27-malatsi-withdraws-draft-ai-policy-over-fake-citations/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
Direct quotes from Minister Solly Malatsi are consistent across multiple reputable sources, confirming the withdrawal and the reasons behind it. ([mg.co.za](https://mg.co.za/article/2026-04-27-malatsi-withdraws-draft-ai-policy-over-fake-citations/?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The information is corroborated by multiple reputable sources, including The Mail & Guardian, TimesLIVE, and SAnews, all reporting on the same event with consistent details. ([mg.co.za](https://mg.co.za/article/2026-04-27-malatsi-withdraws-draft-ai-policy-over-fake-citations/?utm_source=openai))
Plausibility check
Score:
10
Notes:
The withdrawal of a draft policy due to fictitious sources is plausible and aligns with known challenges in AI-generated content. The reports provide specific details about the fictitious sources and the government’s response. ([mg.co.za](https://mg.co.za/article/2026-04-27-malatsi-withdraws-draft-ai-policy-over-fake-citations/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The news article is current, corroborated by multiple reputable sources, and presents consistent and plausible information about the withdrawal of South Africa’s draft AI policy due to fictitious sources. All checks have been passed with high confidence.