Steenhuisen Slams Daily Maverick for "Shoddy Journalism" and False Claims

John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has strongly condemned the Daily Maverick and journalist Rebecca Davis for what he described as "shoddy journalism" in a recent article.

The piece, according to Steenhuisen, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, falsely linked his work to facilitating illegal wildlife trafficking through South African agricultural trade with China.

Steenhuisen, in a statement released today, labelled the article as the latest effort by the Daily Maverick to smear both himself and the DA. He pointed out that the claims made by Davis lacked any factual basis or evidence, suggesting a biased agenda.

The article in question alleged that Steenhuisen’s work in facilitating market access for South African agricultural products to China was somehow connected to wildlife trafficking. Steenhuisen, however, clarified that his interactions with China were solely through official government channels, dismissing any suggestion of involvement in illegal activities.

The only evidence provided by Davis, Steenhuisen noted, was a post from Steenhuisen's social media account on the platform X. In the post, Davis claimed Steenhuisen was greeting "the G20 delegation from China." Steenhuisen clarified that the delegation he was greeting in the image was actually from Vietnam, which had visited South Africa to sign an agricultural agreement aimed at increasing market access for South African products, including dairy, fruit, meat, and wine.

Steenhuisen accused Davis and the Daily Maverick of engaging in what he called "shoddy journalism" and failing to perform even basic fact-checking. He further criticised the publication for attempting to advance a personal vendetta against him, rather than reporting the facts.

Steenhuisen said he was proud of the efforts made by the Agriculture Ministry to open new markets for South African goods, Steenhuisen emphasized that the government’s policy aligns with the broader goals of the Government of National Unity (GNU), which focuses on expanding trade relations and diversifying export markets.

Steenhuisen has referred the article to his attorneys and the Press Ombudsman for review and further action.