Diplomatic Fireworks As Fani-Kayode, South Africa Trade Blows 

The High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, and the South African presidency have exchanged words over the alleged exclusion of Nigeria’s delegation from a livestream of the presentation of his letter of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

Fani-Kayode accused the South African presidency of deliberately cutting off the Nigerian delegation from the livestream during a meeting involving 15 ambassadors with Ramaphosa in Pretoria.

In a post on his Facebook page on Friday, the envoy said all the other ambassadors were formally introduced and allowed to deliver speeches, while Nigeria’s presentation was excluded from the broadcast.

He said, “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.”

The Nigerian envoy said he raised the matter with Ramaphosa, who questioned the officials responsible and directed that the issue be resolved immediately.

However, he said the intervention came too late, as the Nigerian delegation had already been excluded from the broadcast.

“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,” he added.

Fani-Kayode suggested that the incident might have resulted from a conspiracy by some individuals who did not want his speech broadcast.

He, however, said at least two Nigerian television stations were present at the event and had recorded his address, which would be released to the Nigerian public.

But the spokesperson for the South African President, Vincent Magwenya, faulted Fani-Kayode’s account, accusing him of misrepresenting Ramaphosa’s involvement in the matter.

In a response addressed to the Nigerian envoy on X, Magwenya said the South African President had neither intervened on his behalf nor interfered with the operations of the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

He said Ramaphosa merely directed Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, whom he described as the appropriate person to address his complaint.

“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.

Magwenya maintained that the President had no legal or political mandate to interfere with the broadcaster’s operations or editorial processes.

He also described Fani-Kayode’s reaction to what he termed a minor operational issue as inappropriate, adding that the envoy should engage constructively with different aspects of South African society and its 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.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the President of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, said he was not present with the delegates in the Presidential Guest Room when the incident occurred.

“We were informed about this issue, and I’m doing an interview with a media platform on the presentation and the cut-off,” Onyekwelu said.

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