IN CONVERSATION WITH TEBOGO MASHILOMPANE, National Leader of Forum for South Africa (FOSA).

The Forum for South Africa has raised serious concerns following the withdrawal of the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy by the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, after it was discovered that the document contained fictitious or unverified sources. According to FOSA, while the withdrawal of the policy is seen as a necessary corrective step, the incident reflects a significant failure within the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies. The inclusion of AI-generated or unverified citations in a national policy document is viewed as a breach of public trust and raises concerns about the integrity of government drafting and quality assurance processes. FOSA has expressed alarm that such a critical policy document could 11:10 have progressed through multiple stages of review without the inaccuracies being detected. This has prompted questions regarding internal oversight mechanisms, accountability, and the overall competence within the department responsible for the policy. FOSA has called for a full and transparent investigation into how the errors occurred, as well as consequence management for officials who may be responsible. The organisation has also recommended a comprehensive review of all current and pending policy documents to ensure similar issues are not present, alongside the establishment of stricter guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in government processes. The incident has further highlighted broader concerns about the need for South Africa to develop a credible and ethically grounded national AI policy that ensures human oversight, accountability, and rigorous verification in all state-related documentation. Instagram · Twitter