A diplomatic row has erupted between South Africa and Nigeria over the omission of Nigerian Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode's speech from a live broadcast of a ceremony where he presented his letters of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The incident occurred at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, where Ramaphosa received letters of credence from 15 ambassadors. Fani-Kayode claimed that his speech was deliberately excluded from the livestream, while the introductions and speeches of the other 14 ambassadors were broadcast.
Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, has disputed Fani-Kayode's account of the incident. Magwenya said that Ramaphosa did not interfere with the operations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, which broadcast the ceremony live. Instead, Magwenya claimed that Ramaphosa directed Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, who was the appropriate person to address his complaint. Magwenya described Fani-Kayode's approach as "grossly inappropriate" and urged him to establish a professional relationship with the SABC.
The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa responded to Magwenya's criticism, defending Fani-Kayode and claiming that the ambassador and Nigeria had been treated with contempt. The mission said that Ramaphosa had intervened in the matter and got the desired result. However, Magwenya rejected the mission's account, insisting that neither Ramaphosa nor the Presidency intervened in the operations of the broadcaster. Magwenya urged Fani-Kayode to familiarize himself with South Africa's constitutional provisions and the SABC's editorial code.
The exchange between Magwenya and the Nigerian High Commission is the latest development in a diplomatic disagreement that began on Friday. Fani-Kayode had accused the South African Presidency of deliberately excluding Nigeria's delegation from the livestream of the ceremony. He claimed that he raised the matter directly with Ramaphosa during a photo session after the ceremony and that the President summoned the officials responsible for the broadcast and directed them to address the issue.
Hours after Fani-Kayode's protest, the South African Presidency released the full video of the ceremony, including the Nigerian ambassador's speech, on its YouTube page. In his address, Fani-Kayode pledged to strengthen relations between Nigeria and South Africa, describing his assignment as an opportunity to rebuild diplomatic ties and address areas of mutual concern. He also recalled Nigeria's support for South Africa during its struggle against apartheid and called for closer cooperation between the two countries.
The ceremony marked the first posting of a substantive Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa in four years. Fani-Kayode's speech was included in the video released by the South African Presidency, which showed the ambassador's introduction and address. The incident has highlighted the importance of clear communication and respect for diplomatic protocols in international relations.
Key points
- The Nigerian ambassador's speech was omitted from the live broadcast of the ceremony, sparking a diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa.
- The South African Presidential spokesman disputed the Nigerian ambassador's claim that President Ramaphosa intervened in the matter.
- The incident has strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, with both sides trading accusations and counter-accusations.
