Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, and the South African presidency have exchanged words over the alleged exclusion of Nigeria’s delegation from a livestream of the presentation of letters of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria.
The controversy followed Friday’s ceremony, during which 15 ambassadors presented their letters of credence to the South African President.
Fani-Kayode accused the South African presidency of deliberately excluding him and members of the Nigerian delegation from the livestream, alleging that Nigeria was the only country whose ambassador’s introduction and address were not broadcast.
The Nigerian envoy, who expressed displeasure over the incident in a post on his Facebook page on Friday, said all the other 14 ambassadors were formally introduced and given the opportunity to deliver speeches that were aired during the broadcast.
He alleged that the Nigerian delegation was deliberately left out of the transmission, with the livestream resuming only after he had concluded his address.
According to him, the exclusion was particularly troubling because it affected only Nigeria among the 15 countries represented at the ceremony.
“Every single one of the 15 ambassadors that were present was introduced formally and gave a speech.
“Curiously, the South African presidency refused to air the introduction of my good self and the Nigerian delegation or to air my speech. They went a step further by cutting us out of the livestream completely and went back on livestream only after my speech was concluded.
“Of all the 15 introductions and speeches that were made and delivered this morning, only Nigeria’s was cut out,” he said.
Fani-Kayode further claimed that he brought the matter to the attention of Ramaphosa during the ceremony, prompting the South African President to question the officials responsible for the broadcast and direct that the issue be addressed immediately.
He, however, said the intervention came after the Nigerian delegation had already been excluded from the livestream.
“Right there in my presence, he questioned and directed them to resolve the issue immediately.
“Sadly, by then it was too late and Nigeria had been left out. To be clear, I repeat, we were the only ones that were left out,” the envoy added.
The former Nigerian Minister of Aviation suggested that the incident might not have been accidental, expressing suspicion that some individuals deliberately prevented his speech and the introduction of the Nigerian delegation from being broadcast.
He nevertheless said the incident would not prevent Nigerians from accessing his address, noting that at least two Nigerian television stations were present at the ceremony and had recorded his speech.
According to him, the recordings would be made available to the Nigerian public.
However, the South African presidency rejected Fani-Kayode’s account of the incident, with Vincent Magwenya, President’s spokesperson, accusing the Nigerian envoy of misrepresenting the role played by Ramaphosa.
In a response directed at Fani-Kayode on X, Magwenya disputed the claim that the South African President had intervened on the envoy’s behalf or taken steps to influence the broadcasting process.
He explained that Ramaphosa had simply referred Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, whom he identified as the appropriate official to address the complaint.
Magwenya also suggested that the Nigerian envoy had declined an opportunity to engage with Mokoena, which he said could have helped clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged exclusion.
“Your Excellency, you refused to speak to @Sophie_Mokoena who would have cleared the misunderstanding with you. I would encourage you, that as you start your tenure in South Africa you meet with SABC to forge a mutually beneficial, respectful and professional relationship,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson further maintained that Ramaphosa had no legal or political authority to interfere with the operations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), particularly its editorial and broadcasting processes.
He argued that the public broadcaster operated independently and that the President could not be expected to intervene in its operational decisions.
Magwenya also criticised Fani-Kayode’s reaction to the incident, describing it as an inappropriate response to what he characterised as a minor operational issue.
He urged the Nigerian envoy to approach his diplomatic assignment by engaging constructively with different institutions and sections of South African society while respecting the country’s constitutional provisions.
“I wish you well on your tenure and I hope you begin to engage the various aspects of South African society and its constitutional tenets constructively,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Frank Onyekwelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, said he was not physically present with the delegates in the Presidential Guest Room when the incident occurred.
Speaking with newsmen, Onyekwelu said the association had been informed about the controversy and that he was already engaging with a media organisation on the matter.
“We were informed about this issue, and I’m doing an interview with a media platform on the presentation and the cut-off,” he said.
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