Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has engaged in a public exchange with officials of the South African presidency over the exclusion of his delegation from a livestream of an ambassadorial ceremony involving President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The controversy followed Friday’s presentation of letters of credence by 15 ambassadors to Ramaphosa in Pretoria, where Fani-Kayode alleged that Nigeria was deliberately excluded from the broadcast while other diplomatic missions were given opportunities to introduce themselves and deliver speeches.
In a Facebook post, the Nigerian envoy expressed displeasure over what he described as the selective treatment of his delegation, insisting that Nigeria was the only country whose presentation was omitted.
“Of all the 15 introductions and speeches that were made and delivered this morning, only Nigeria’s was cut out,” he said.
Fani-Kayode disclosed that he raised the matter with Ramaphosa, who questioned the officials responsible and directed that the issue be addressed.
However, he said the intervention came after his delegation’s presentation had already been excluded from the broadcast.
The envoy also suggested that some individuals might have conspired to prevent his speech from being aired, adding that Nigerian television stations present at the event had recorded his address for subsequent release to the public.
But the spokesperson for the South African President, Vincent Magwenya, rejected Fani-Kayode’s account, accusing him of misrepresenting Ramaphosa’s involvement in the matter.
In a response on X, Magwenya said the President did not intervene on behalf of the Nigerian envoy or interfere with the operations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
He explained that Ramaphosa merely referred Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, whom he identified as the appropriate official to address his complaint.
“Your Excellency, you refused to speak to @Sophie_Mokoena who would have cleared the misunderstanding with you,” Magwenya stated.
He further maintained that the South African President had no legal or political authority to interfere with the broadcaster’s editorial decisions and operations.
Magwenya also described Fani-Kayode’s reaction to what he considered a minor operational issue as inappropriate, urging him to engage constructively with South African institutions.
Meanwhile, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, said he was not present in the Presidential Guest Room when the incident occurred but confirmed that he had been informed about the controversy.
