The controversy arose during a ceremony at the Sefako M. Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Tshwane, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa received letters of credence from 15 newly accredited foreign envoys.
Fani-Kayode complained that while the introductions and speeches of 14 other ambassadors were broadcast without interruption, the livestream was cut off when it was Nigeria’s turn and only resumed after he had delivered his address.
Following the complaint, the South African Presidency released a separate recording of Fani-Kayode’s speech on its official YouTube channel.
The Nigerian envoy later claimed that he raised the issue directly with Ramaphosa during a post-ceremony photograph session, adding that the South African President summoned broadcast officials to address the omission.
However, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, disputed the account in a statement posted on X, insisting that the President neither intervened in the broadcast nor had any involvement in the matter.
Magwenya also criticised Fani-Kayode’s decision to address the issue publicly, urging him to engage the appropriate South African institutions to resolve the disagreement.
In his response, Magwenya wrote:
“Your Excellency, I deeply regret that I have to address you through a public platform. However, now that you have falsely referenced the President on a matter he has no involvement in, I’m duty bound to clarify your misrepresentation of facts.
“In South Africa the President does not intervene on operational matters at the public broadcasters, neither did he intervene on your behalf. He simply pointed you to @Sophie_Mokoena who was the most appropriate person to raise your grievance with.”
Magwenya further alleged that Fani-Kayode declined to engage South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Foreign Editor, Sophie Mokoena, to resolve what he described as a technical misunderstanding.
He maintained that the South African President had neither the legal authority nor the political mandate to interfere in the editorial and operational decisions of the public broadcaster.
In a counterstatement published on its official X account, however, the Nigerian High Commission defended Fani-Kayode and maintained that both the envoy and Nigeria had been treated unfairly.
The diplomatic mission also insisted that Ramaphosa had intervened to address the situation, expressing satisfaction with the outcome.
“Our Ambassador, H.E. Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, @realFFK was treated with contempt and disdain and by extension so was Nigeria.
“H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who we have the utmost respect for, did the right thing by intervening. We got the result we wanted. End of story,” the High Commission stated.
