The South African Presidency has issued a sharp public rebuke to Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, accusing him of misrepresenting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s involvement in a broadcast dispute involving the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

The diplomatic friction began after Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian Minister of Aviation, posted a statement on X alleging that the Nigerian delegation was deliberately excluded from the livestream of a credential presentation ceremony in Pretoria. The event, held at the South African Presidential Guest House, saw 15 newly appointed ambassadors formally present their letters of credence to President Ramaphosa. According to Fani-Kayode, while the introductions and speeches of the other 14 envoys were aired to millions of viewers, his remarks were abruptly cut from the broadcast.

In response, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, took to a public platform to set the record straight, stating that he was “duty bound” to clarify what he termed a misrepresentation of facts by the Nigerian envoy.

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Magwenya stressed that President Ramaphosa neither intervened on Fani-Kayode’s behalf nor possesses the authority to meddle in the affairs of the state broadcaster.

“The SABC is a public broadcaster. The President carries no legal or political mandate to interfere with its operations or intervene in its editorial processes,” Magwenya explained.

According to the presidential spokesperson, when Fani-Kayode raised his concerns, Ramaphosa simply referred him to Sophie Mokoena—SABC’s acting political and foreign editor—as the proper channel to resolve the complaint. However, Magwenya noted that the Nigerian ambassador refused to speak with Mokoena, missing an opportunity to clear up what Pretoria described as a minor operational misunderstanding.

Calling Fani-Kayode’s handling of the situation “grossly inappropriate,” Magwenya urged the newly posted envoy to respect South Africa’s constitutional principles and build a professional working relationship with local institutions as his tenure gets underway.

“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,” Magwenya concluded.

Fani-Kayode Presents Letter Of Credence To South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

This video shows the diplomatic ceremony in Pretoria where Femi Fani-Kayode presented his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa, which sparked the broadcast dispute.