“President Has No Role in SABC Operations” — South African Presidency Rebukes Fani-Kayode
South African Presidency Rebukes Fani-Kayode Over Complaint About Nigeria’s Exclusion From Livestream
The South African Presidency has challenged Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, over his complaint that the Nigerian delegation was deliberately excluded from the livestream of a diplomatic ceremony attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the South African Presidency, maintained that Ramaphosa had neither the authority nor the responsibility to interfere in the operational activities and editorial decisions of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the country’s public broadcaster.
Magwenya made the clarification in a post on X while responding directly to Fani-Kayode’s account of the incident, accusing the Nigerian envoy of wrongly attributing the broadcaster’s actions to the South African President.
The presidential spokesperson said he considered it necessary to correct what he described as a misrepresentation of the facts.
“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 wrote.
He explained that Ramaphosa had only directed Fani-Kayode to Sophie Mokoena, whom he identified as the appropriate official to receive and address the Nigerian envoy’s complaint.
“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,” the spokesperson stated.
Magwenya further emphasised that the SABC operates independently as a public broadcaster and that the President has no legal or political authority to influence its day-to-day operations or editorial decisions.
“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,” he added.
He also criticised Fani-Kayode’s approach to the controversy, describing his reaction to what he considered a minor operational misunderstanding as inappropriate.
“Frankly, your approach in this regard on a minor operational issue which you misunderstood was grossly inappropriate,” Magwenya said.
Despite the criticism, the presidential spokesperson wished the Nigerian High Commissioner well in his diplomatic assignment and encouraged constructive engagement.
Fani-Kayode Accuses South African Broadcaster of Excluding Nigeria
The disagreement followed Fani-Kayode’s complaint after he presented his letters of credence to President Ramaphosa at the South African Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.
The Nigerian High Commissioner attended the diplomatic ceremony alongside ambassadors representing 14 other countries.
He described the occasion as historic, noting that it marked the appointment of a substantive Nigerian ambassador to South Africa for the first time in four years.
However, the Nigerian envoy expressed disappointment after discovering that his introduction, his speech and the presentation by the Nigerian delegation were missing from the official livestream of the ceremony.
According to Fani-Kayode, all 15 ambassadors were formally introduced and given the opportunity to deliver speeches, but Nigeria’s presentation was the only one omitted from the broadcast.
He alleged that the South African Presidency’s livestream went off during Nigeria’s presentation and resumed only after he had concluded his speech.
Fani-Kayode said he subsequently raised the matter directly with Ramaphosa during a photo session while both men were still at the venue.
According to the former Nigerian Minister of Aviation, the South African President responded by taking him to relevant officials, questioning them and directing them to address the complaint.
However, he maintained that the intervention came too late to prevent Nigeria’s presentation from being excluded from the livestream.
Reacting to the incident, Fani-Kayode suggested that some individuals in South Africa were uncomfortable with Nigeria’s presence and message.
“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,” Fani-Kayode wrote.
Nigerian Television Stations Recorded Fani-Kayode’s Speech
The Nigerian envoy also disclosed that television stations from Nigeria that attended the ceremony recorded his address and would make the footage available to the Nigerian public.
He further revealed that he declined an interview request from SABC News while at the venue, citing what he described as the unacceptable treatment of the Nigerian delegation.
Instead, Fani-Kayode said he directed the broadcaster to listen to his speech, which he claimed had been deliberately left out of the official livestream.
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Despite his dissatisfaction with the incident, the ambassador reiterated his respect and affection for South Africa and its people.
He also expressed appreciation to President Ramaphosa for what he described as his concern and timely intervention.
Fani-Kayode, however, maintained that Nigeria would not accept any form of disrespect directed at its government or citizens.
The public exchange between the Nigerian envoy and the South African Presidency has brought attention to the diplomatic disagreement surrounding the livestream of the letters of credence ceremony, with both sides presenting different accounts of the President’s involvement and the handling of Nigeria’s complaint.
