The South African Department of Home Affairs has suspended two senior officials after discovering AI-generated references (hallucinations) in the source list of a revised White Paper on citizenship, immigration, and refugee protection, which had been approved by the Cabinet. These references, added afterward and not cited in the text, were urgently removed. An independent investigation has been launched, and controls on AI usage will be integrated into internal processes. The department has apologized for the error and reaffirmed the validity of the White Paper’s core content.
