SA Presidency Sets the Record Straight After Nigerian Ambassador’s Claims About Cyril Ramaphosa
- Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya publicly addressed Nigerian Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode over his allegations
- Fani-Kayode alleged that the Presidency cut Nigeria's delegation from a livestream during a letters of credence ceremony
- Magwenya took to social media to dispute the ambassador's account of Ramaphosa's involvement in the matter
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG — Spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, has publicly rebuked Nigerian Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, disputing the envoy's characterisation of the president's role in a broadcast controversy that unfolded during a diplomatic ceremony in Pretoria.
The dispute arose on 13 November 2026 at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, where Fani-Kayode presented his letters of credence to President Ramaphosa alongside ambassadors from 14 other countries.
Following the ceremony, Fani-Kayode alleged on X that the South African Presidency had deliberately excluded Nigeria's delegation from a live broadcast of the event, cutting the feed during his speech and restoring it only after he had finished.
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He further claimed that he raised the matter with Ramaphosa directly during the photo session, and that the president personally took him to relevant officials and directed them to address the issue immediately.
Magwenya challenges the ambassador's account
Responding publicly on X, Magwenya rejected the ambassador's framing of events.
"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.
Magwenya stated that Ramaphosa did not intervene in the matter and had instead directed Fani-Kayode to SABC journalist Sophie Mokoena as the appropriate person to raise the grievance with. Magwenya was emphatic that the president carries no legal or political mandate to interfere in the broadcaster's editorial operations.
Magwenya also noted that Fani-Kayode declined to engage with Mokoena, who he said could have resolved the misunderstanding at the time. The spokesperson concluded by encouraging the newly appointed ambassador to establish a constructive working relationship with the SABC as he begins his tenure in South Africa.
Other stories about South African-Nigerian relations
- Nigeria and Ghana have formed a united front against what they describe as xenophobic violence targeting African migrants in South Africa.
- Nigeria's National Assembly froze all Parliamentary ties with South Africa indefinitely.
- South Africa and Nigeria pledged closer cooperation on migration and organised crime issues.
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Source: Briefly News
