Fani-Kayode protests exclusion from South African Presidency’s livestream

The South African government has apologised to Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, following a controversy over the exclusion of his introduction and speech from a livestream of a diplomatic ceremony attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The government has also uploaded the full recording of the ceremony to its official YouTube channel, making available the session in which Fani-Kayode presented his Letters of Credence to the South African President.

The development follows Fani-Kayode’s protest after Nigeria’s delegation was allegedly omitted from the livestream of Friday’s diplomatic ceremony at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.

The ceremony brought together heads of mission from 15 countries who formally presented their diplomatic credentials to Ramaphosa.

In his reaction to the omission, Fani-Kayode alleged that while the introductions and speeches of representatives from other countries were broadcast, Nigeria’s presentation was excluded.

He described the incident as unacceptable, insisting that Nigeria deserved the same diplomatic recognition and respect accorded to the other participating countries.

The former Minister of Aviation disclosed that he personally raised the matter with Ramaphosa during a photo session after the ceremony.

According to him, the South African President responded by taking him to officials responsible for the broadcast and questioning them about the omission.

Ramaphosa subsequently directed the officials to address the matter, although the intervention came after Fani-Kayode had completed his presentation.

Fani-Kayode also expressed disappointment over the incident, suggesting that some individuals in South Africa were uncomfortable with Nigeria’s presence. He, however, maintained that he would continue his diplomatic assignment and defend Nigeria’s interests.

The government’s apology and subsequent publication of the complete recording represent a significant development in the controversy, following the Nigerian envoy’s public complaint.

The presentation of Letters of Credence formally marks the accreditation of a diplomatic representative by the receiving country, making the ceremony an important step in Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement with South Africa.