“Only Nigeria's speech was cut out” — Fani-Kayode accuses South African Presidency of deliberate snub; Pretoria fires back
Photo: Femi Fani-Kayode (left) with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the letters-of-credence ceremony, Pretoria, 13 Nov 2026 · Photo: Punch
Fifteen ambassadors spoke. Fourteen were broadcast. Only Nigeria's speech was cut out — then it appeared two hours later, after a public protest. Glitch, or a deliberate snub?
Key points
- Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, said only Nigeria's speech was cut from the livestream of the letters-of-credence ceremony in Pretoria on Friday.
- The South African Presidency uploaded the full recording about two hours later, after his public protest. Ramaphosa's spokesperson denied the President intervened on his behalf.
- Whether the omission was deliberate is NOT established — the livestream glitched during the French ambassador's speech, immediately before Fani-Kayode was due to speak.
Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has accused the South African Presidency of deliberately excluding his introduction and speech from the livestream of the presentation of letters of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria on Friday, 13 November.
He said all 15 ambassadors present were formally introduced and gave speeches, but “only Nigeria's was cut out” — the livestream resumed only after he had finished speaking. He said he raised it directly with Ramaphosa, who questioned the officials responsible and directed it be resolved. Hours later, the South African Presidency uploaded the full recording, including his address, to its YouTube page at about 16:23 on Friday — roughly two hours after his public protest.
But the row escalated: Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, faulted Fani-Kayode's account on X, saying the President had neither intervened on his behalf nor interfered with the public broadcaster SABC, and that Ramaphosa had merely directed him to Sophie Mokoena as the appropriate person.
The ceremony marked the first posting of a substantive Nigerian ambassador to South Africa in four years. Fani-Kayode said at least two Nigerian TV stations recorded his address, and he turned down an SABC interview over the treatment. The livestream appeared to suffer a glitch during the French ambassador's speech, immediately before Fani-Kayode was due to speak — so whether the omission was technical or deliberate is NOT established. In his released speech Fani-Kayode said part of his job is to “reset that relationship” between Nigeria and South Africa.
Why this matters
A Nigerian envoy publicly accusing a host presidency of a deliberate snub, a presidency calling him a misrepresenter in reply, and a missing speech that only appeared after a public protest.
Latest developments
First published 14 Nov 2026, 08:20 WAT.
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Sources
- PUNCH — Diplomatic fireworks as Fani-Kayode, South Africa trade blows (13 Nov 2026)
- PUNCH — South Africa releases Fani-Kayode's speech after protest (13 Nov 2026)
- Vanguard — South Africa releases Fani-Kayode's speech after protest (13 Nov 2026)
- TheCable — South Africa releases Fani-Kayode's speech in new video after protest over livestream omission (13 Nov 2026)
Whether the omission was deliberate is NOT established — the livestream glitched during the preceding speech. Both accounts are presented: Fani-Kayode's claim of a deliberate cut, and Magwenya's denial that Ramaphosa intervened. This is Femi Fani-Kayode, the High Commissioner — not Femi Gbajabiamila.