DA MINISTER SOLLY MALATSI UNDER FIRE: DIGITAL FUTURE IN CHAOS AS HIS AI POLICY IS SCRAPPED OVER “FAKE SOURCES” — HOW DOES A NATIONAL DOCUMENT FROM A DA LEADER END UP BUILT ON NON-EXISTENT REFERENCES?
Solly Malatsi, a senior figure from the Democratic Alliance, has been forced to withdraw South Africa’s Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy after it was discovered that the document contained “fictitious sources” in its reference list.
A policy meant to guide the country’s AI future… now accused of being backed by sources that don’t even exist.
🚨 This has sparked outrage and serious questions:
👉 How does such a critical national policy pass through checks with fake references?
👉 Who was responsible for compiling and approving the document?
👉 What does this say about leadership and accountability?
💬 Critics are not holding back: 👉 “This is a national embarrassment — from a DA minister!”
👉 “You want to lead in AI but can’t verify basic sources?”
💬 Others say: 👉 “At least it was caught — now fix it properly and move forward.”
⚖️ The bigger issue: As South Africa tries to position itself in the global tech race, incidents like this raise concerns about competence, governance, and trust — regardless of which party is in charge.
👇🏾 Mzansi, speak: Is this just a mistake… or proof that leadership is failing?