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Following an embarrassing episode regarding the draft national policy on artificial intelligence, communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi has assembled a team of experts to help him manage the matter.
Malatsi was left with egg on his face when he was forced to withdraw his department’s draft policy after it was found it contained fictitious academic references with dubious AI-generated citations used in government policy formulation.
Presenting his department’s spending and policy priorities for the 2026/27 financial year in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Malatsi told MPs he has appointed a panel of independent experts in the communications and digital space to assist in the formulation of national policy on AI.
The panel, to be chaired by Prof Benjamin Rosman, will comprise experts in AI research, law and governance.
They include Prof Vukosi Marivate, Prof Alison Gillwald, Heather Irvine, Dr Tshepo Feela, Dr Jabu Mtsweni and advocate Lufuno Tshikalange.
“This distinguished group of experts will ensure that the policy we reintroduce for public comment will be based on the best available evidence and aligned with South Africa’s priorities,” Malatsi said.
“We cannot discuss the issue of policy without discussing the matter of the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy and the revelation that generative AI was used irresponsibly during the drafting of this policy.
“This series of events adversely impacted the policy document, and withdrawing the policy was the only way to ensure that we reintroduce a credible policy for this critical area.
“We will be enforcing an internal responsible AI use policy, and review our policy development process, to ensure that this type of occurrence does not happen again. South Africa deserves better.”
In his budget vote, Malatsi indicated his department had received just more than R2.5bn from the National Treasury, with more than R1.7bn transferred to portfolio entities.
“Icasa receives R505m, the Film and Publications Board R112m, and the South African Post Office R595m, allocated to the universal postal obligation. The SABC receives R234m,” he said.
“Speaker, the budgetary constraints within our portfolio are clear, and have a serious impact on the department and portfolio entities’ ability to deliver on our joint mandate.
“But we are not the only portfolio that is in this position. Fiscal constraints are the reality we must deal with.
“We can no longer hide behind the lack of funds to explain why we fall short of what is expected of us.”
It is for this reason that Malatsi told MPs that it was time to rope in the private sector to help rescue some of the troubled SOEs in his portfolio.
“One of our greatest assets is our private sector. When working alone, our impact will always be limited. But when we partner with the private sector, we open the door to multiply our impact.
“To be clear, partnership is not the same as privatisation, but partial privatisation makes sense in certain situations.
“We must acknowledge that we find ourselves in a position that is becoming impossible to avoid the hard truth that 100% state ownership of our portfolio entities is no longer sustainable in the context of our fiscal reality.
“So we must honestly assess the need and fitness-for-purpose of some of the state-owned entities. Where we need them, they must be well run and financially sustainable.
“But partnering with the private sector is more than just about ownership. Where we can create mutually beneficial commercial agreements where private sector players leverage state-owned assets to deliver services at cost-effective prices, we will get more South Africans connected to the internet and out of poverty.”
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