Pretoria – South Africa’s Presidency has condemned Nigerian High Commissioner Femi Fani-Kayode’s public criticism of the country’s handling of a diplomatic credentials ceremony, describing his approach as “grossly inappropriate”.
The dispute followed a ceremony in Pretoria on Friday at which President Cyril Ramaphosa received letters of credence from 15 newly appointed ambassadors and high commissioners.
Fani-Kayode accused the Presidency of deliberately excluding his speech from the livestream of the event. He said Nigeria was the only country whose introduction and speech were not broadcast.
“Of all the 15 introductions and speeches that were made and delivered this morning, only Nigeria’s was cut out,” Fani-Kayode said, claiming that he raised the matter with Ramaphosa, who he said directed officials to address it.
It was a great and historic morning today at the South African Presidential Guest House in Pretoria where I had the honor and privilege of presenting my letters of credence to His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa @CyrilRamaphosa, the President of the Republic of South Africa, along with Ambassadors from 14 other countries.
It was a beautiful and historic occassion which witnessed the first posting of a substantive Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of South Africa in four years.
The entire event was livestreamed by @PresidencyZA (the South African Presidency) where millions of Nigerians, South Africans, Africans and members of the international community were watching in real time.
Every single one of the 15 Ambassadors that were present were introduced formally and gave a speech.
Curiously the South African Presidency refused to air the introduction of my goodself and the Nigerian delegation or to air my speech.
They went a step further by cutting us out of the livestream completely and went back on livestream only after my speech was concluded.
Of all the 15 introductions and speeches that were made and delivered this morning only Nigeria’s was cut out.
I raised the issue with President Ramaphosa directly during the course of the photo session and whilst we were still on the premises and, in fairness to him, he took me to the relevant officials and acted with despatch.
Right there in my prescence he questioned them and directed them to resolve the issue immediately.
Sadly by then it was too late and Nigeria had been left out. To be clear, I repeat, we were the ONLY ones that were left out.
Clearly some elements in South Africa do not want to hear what we have to say or see our faces but we are here to stay as long as we are welcome and have the confidence of President Ramaphosa, which I am sure we do.
Luckily for us there were at least two Nigerian television stations at the event and all that I had to say was fully recorded by them and will be released to the Nigerian public.
There is also footage that will be released in which I complained directly to the President and in which he called his staff and told them what to do.
Whilst still on the premises, when offered an interview by @SABCNews
(the South African State Broadcaster), I turned them down as a consequence of the deplorable way we were treated and I told them to go and listen to my speech instead which their Presidency officials had refused to air.One thing is clear, I have immense respect and affection for South Africa and the South African people but I will not be anywhere or tolerate anyone that disrespects or treats our Government or our people flippantly.
My thanks goes to President Ramaphosa for his concern and timely intervention.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and God bless the Republic of South Africa.
(FFK)
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) November 13, 2026
He later said: “Clearly, some elements in South Africa do not want to hear what we have to say or see our faces, but we are here to stay.”
The allegations prompted a sharp response from presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, who accused the envoy of “misrepresenting facts” and using social media instead of diplomatic channels to raise the complaint.
“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,” Magwenya said.
He stressed that the South African president has no authority to interfere with the operations or editorial decisions of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
“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 said, describing Fani-Kayode’s approach as “grossly inappropriate”.
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.
— Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) November 13, 2026
South Africa’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, also criticised the use of social media to raise the complaint, saying: “This should not be the platform for engagement whenever you want to raise issues (big or small).”
The dispute escalated when the Nigerian High Commission defended Fani-Kayode and accused Magwenya of worsening tensions. The mission called Magwenya a “liar” and a “disgrace”, while insisting that Fani-Kayode had been treated with “contempt and disdain”.
You are the disgrace and no-one else. Outside of that your insolence and ignorance knows no bounds. You are bringing your nation into disrepute and willfully and purposely burning the bridge of peace and reconciliation. That is a matter of concern to us. The only thing that is inappropriate is the shameful way that you and your team behaved. A few months ago you, as spokesman to the President of the Republic of South Africa, described our President and the President of Ghana, as peddlers of fake news after they expressed their deep and legitimate concerns about Afrophobia and Xenophobia in your country. We let that one go and ignored you. Today you are calling our newly-accredited Ambassador to your country a liar as well barely a few hours after he presented his letters of credence. You also claim that he has disgraced our country simply because he complained to your President about a slight which your media team subjected him and our nation to. Did you really expect him to simply stomach your ill manners and keep quiet? If so you have misunderstood the character and nature of the Nigerian. We cannot be easily cowed. I really do wonder when this provocative and undiplomatic behaviour, which always emantes from your office and person, will stop? Why can’t you leave this matter for the diplomats to resolve rather than attempting to add fuel to fire? We urge you to exercise caution and tread the path of peace and reconciliation which is what we earnestly desire. Yet if truth be told you are the liar and no-one else. Many witnessed what happened at the accreditation ceremony in disgust including the newly-accredited Ambassadors of other nations. We also have the full video clip of the proceedings after the pictures were taken which, if and when we are given the go-ahead to do so, we shall release. Thankfully your President had the decency and prescence of mind to put out the fire and direct you and your state broadcaster to do the right thing. He literally saved the day. To us this matter is closed but if you wish to escalate it you are welcome to do so and we are up to the task. A word is enough for the wise. Have a great day.
— Nigerian High Commission in South Africa. (@NGRHC_RSA) November 14, 2026
The Nigerian mission maintained that Ramaphosa had intervened, while Magwenya rejected this, saying: “Even when it’s institutionalised, a lie remains a lie. There was no such intervention from the President or the Presidency and there will never be.”
@NGRHC_RSA @realFFK Even when it’s institutionalized a lie remains a lie. There was no such intervention from the President or the Presidency and there will never be. Read our constitution and laws and familiarize yourself with the SABC editorial code. Stop disgracing yourself and your country.
— Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) November 14, 2026
The controversy comes less than a month after Fani-Kayode arrived in South Africa on 25 October to begin his diplomatic assignment. He had said his priority was to “rebuild the bridge of friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa” while protecting the interests of Nigerians living in the country.
The dispute was subsequently followed by the release of the full ceremony video, including Fani-Kayode’s speech, by South African authorities.
The public spat comes against the backdrop of already strained Nigeria-South Africa relations, including tensions over xenophobic attacks and the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
