A diplomatic disagreement has erupted between Nigeria and South Africa over the broadcast of a credentials ceremony in Pretoria. The friction started after Nigeria’s High Commission claimed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa personally intervened when Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode’s speech was left out of a live television transmission.
According to Daily Trust, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya rejected the claim, stating that Ramaphosa never intervened and possesses no constitutional right to dictate the editorial decisions of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Magwenya described the Nigerian mission's account as untrue, telling the mission to study the country's constitution and stop embarrassing itself.
The issue began on Friday at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, where Ramaphosa formally welcomed 15 heads of mission. Fani-Kayode raised an alarm that while speeches from 14 other foreign diplomats aired live, the transmission went off when it reached Nigeria's turn and returned immediately after he finished.
Fani-Kayode said he tackled the issue with Ramaphosa during a subsequent photo session, claiming the South African leader summoned broadcast personnel to fix the problem on the spot. While expressing sadness that the intervention came too late for the live broadcast, Fani-Kayode commended Ramaphosa for acting. The Nigerian mission insisted the envoy was treated with contempt, adding that it achieved the outcome it wanted.
Magwenya countered this narrative, stating that Ramaphosa only directed the Nigerian diplomat to Sophie Mokoena to handle the broadcast grievance, but Fani-Kayode declined to meet her. The South African spokesperson argued that turning a minor operational matter into a dispute was inappropriate.
A few hours after the complaint, the South African Presidency uploaded the full video of the event on its official YouTube page. In the published address, Fani-Kayode highlighted Nigeria’s past role in fighting apartheid, conveyed warm wishes from President Bola Tinubu, and pledged to strengthen ties between both countries.
