Apology: John Steenhuisen

Daily Maverick published an Analysis article on 3 December 2025: The questions the DA and Steenhuisen won’t answer over Dion George ministerial saga.

Shortly afterwards, John Steenhuisen filed a complaint with the Press Ombud, submitting that the article was in breach of Clauses 1.1, 1.3, 1.7, 1.8, 3.3, 5.1/10.1 and 5.2/10.2 of the Press Code.

Deputy Ombud Tyrone August dismissed seven of the nine complaints lodged by Steenhuisen.

August did, however, find that Daily Maverick should have offered Steenhuisen a Right of Reply on one element in the story: The fact that Steenhuisen was not specifically asked to comment on speculation that there may be a link between his trade engagements with China and George’s dismissal.

In accordance with the Deputy Ombud’s directive, Daily Maverick wishes to apologise for not specifically asking Steenhuisen to comment on this element in the article. We did, however, send Steenhuisen a number of questions linked to the article, and his office declined to furnish any comment. We apologise for not including this specific question in the list we sent.

Also, in accordance with August’s directive, Daily Maverick extended an invitation to Steenhuisen to submit a Right of Reply which addresses speculation within the DA and other quarters that George’s dismissal as Environment Minister may be linked to Steenhuisen’s trade engagements with China’s government.

This is Steenhuisen’s reply to the question:

At the heart of the “article” was an attempt to draw a link between my official trade engagements with the People’s Republic of China and unrelated political decisions. No such link exists. None was ever substantiated.

And critically, I was never asked to respond to that central insinuation prior to publication. The questions I did receive - relating to the nature and frequency of my visits to China - were designed not to establish fact, but to construct a narrative that had already been predetermined.

South Africa’s agricultural trade engagements are not matters of conjecture or political gossip. They are matters of national economic importance.

In October 2025, I travelled to Shanghai in my capacity as Minister of Agriculture to conclude a landmark trade agreement that opened the Chinese market to South African stone fruit for the first time. This agreement secured access for five categories of fruit in a single protocol, a first for South Africa, and will unlock significant export growth, investment and job creation across the value chain.

This was not a political exercise. It was a strategic intervention to diversify export markets, strengthen agricultural resilience and protect South African producers in an increasingly volatile global trade environment.

The suggestion that such engagements could be linked, directly or indirectly, to illicit activity is not only baseless, but also reckless. It undermines the credibility of South Africa’s trade relationships, puts at risk future market access opportunities, and does a disservice to our farmers, exporters and workers who depend on these markets.

I remain fully committed to transparency and accountability in the execution of my duties. My engagements, both domestically and internationally, are conducted in the interests of South Africa’s farmers, workers and the economy, and will continue to be. DM

Visit www.presscouncil.org.za for the full finding.