A diplomatic controversy has erupted between South Africa and Nigeria after the spokesperson to President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Nigeria's High Commission of lying over claims that the President intervened in the omission of Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode's speech from a televised diplomatic ceremony. Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa's spokesperson, denied the claims, saying the President neither intervened nor had the constitutional authority to interfere with the editorial decisions of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
The exchange escalated on Saturday after the Nigerian High Commission stood by Fani-Kayode's account, insisting that the ambassador was treated with contempt and that Ramaphosa had personally intervened to address the complaint. The Nigerian mission described the incident as an affront not only to Fani-Kayode but also to Nigeria. According to the mission, Ramaphosa did the right thing by intervening, and they got the result they wanted.
The disagreement originated from Friday's ceremony at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, where Ramaphosa received letters of credence from 15 ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions. Fani-Kayode had protested that while the introductions and speeches of 14 other diplomats were broadcast live, Nigeria's presentation was excluded from the transmission. He alleged that the livestream was deliberately suspended when it was Nigeria's turn to speak and resumed after he had delivered his address.
Fani-Kayode subsequently said he confronted the matter directly with Ramaphosa during a photo session after the ceremony. According to him, the South African President summoned officials responsible for the broadcast and directed them to resolve the problem immediately. However, Magwenya said Ramaphosa merely directed the ambassador to Sophie Mokoena, the appropriate official to address the grievance, which Fani-Kayode declined to engage.
The controversy comes at a sensitive period in relations between Nigeria and South Africa, strained by recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in the country. Nigeria's National Assembly had in September suspended official engagements with South African institutions over concerns about attacks on Nigerians. Fani-Kayode, who arrived in South Africa in October to assume his diplomatic assignment, had repeatedly pledged to rebuild relations and promote cooperation between the two countries.
In a strongly worded response on X, Magwenya challenged the Nigerian mission to familiarise itself with South Africa's constitutional provisions and the SABC's editorial code. He urged Fani-Kayode to establish a professional relationship with the public broadcaster and described the ambassador's approach as a minor operational issue as "grossly inappropriate". Hours after the protest, the South African Presidency published the full ceremony, including the Nigerian envoy's speech, on its official YouTube channel.
The diplomatic row highlights the challenges in rebuilding relations between Nigeria and South Africa. Fani-Kayode's presentation of letters of credence on Friday marked the formal commencement of his diplomatic engagement with Ramaphosa. The controversy over the ceremony is one of his earliest public disagreements with the South African Presidency.
Key points
- The Nigerian High Commission stood by Fani-Kayode's account, insisting that the ambassador was treated with contempt and that Ramaphosa had personally intervened to address the complaint.
- The controversy comes at a sensitive period in relations between Nigeria and South Africa, strained by recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in the country.
- Fani-Kayode had repeatedly pledged to rebuild relations and promote cooperation between the two countries.
