The South African Presidency has released the full video of the presentation of letters of credence ceremony involving Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, hours after he accused the government of excluding his speech from the event’s livestream.
The full recording was uploaded to the South African Presidency’s YouTube page at about 4:23 pm on Friday, approximately two hours after Fani-Kayode publicly protested the omission.
The ambassador had earlier alleged that the South African Presidency deliberately cut out his introduction and speech during the livestream of the ceremony hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.
He said the introductions and speeches of ambassadors from 14 other countries were broadcast, while Nigeria’s was omitted, with the livestream resuming only after he had finished speaking.
However, the newly released footage included his full address, during which he pledged to work towards strengthening diplomatic and economic relations between Nigeria and South Africa.
Addressing Ramaphosa, Fani-Kayode said his assignment was partly to rebuild bridges between the two countries, which he described as having a long history of friendship and cooperation.
“Nothing can come between the two of us. And part of my job here is to reset that relationship, to come and build that bridge, and to ensure that whatever concerns we have mutually, we can work them out and move forward together,” he said.
He recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa during its struggle against apartheid, saying both countries had maintained a longstanding relationship.
“We fought together. We stood by you. We gave our blood and our treasure for you during your dark days. And you have reciprocated in so many ways,” he said.
The ambassador also described Nigeria as South Africa’s largest trading partner on the African continent, stressing the importance of closer cooperation between the two countries.
He said: “Without South Africa and Nigeria working together, closely together, the destiny of our great continent may well be affected.
“It is in our mutual interest and the interest of our people, indeed the interest of the world, for us to ensure that we stand tall, we stand strong, and we build that bridge.”
Fani-Kayode also commended South Africa’s position on international issues, particularly the Gaza conflict, its involvement in the BRICS bloc and its advocacy for the Global South.
He praised Ramaphosa’s efforts towards securing Nigeria’s inclusion in the Group of 20, describing them as noteworthy.
He further conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill to the South African leader, describing the Nigerian President as a great friend of South Africa and Ramaphosa.
“Your brother, our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a great friend of South Africa and is a great friend of yours personally,” he said.
Fani-Kayode wished Ramaphosa, the ruling African National Congress and the South African people well before formally presenting his letters of credence and the letters of recall of his predecessor.
The ceremony marked the first posting of a substantive Nigerian ambassador to South Africa in four years, according to Fani-Kayode.
In his earlier statement, the ambassador said he confronted Ramaphosa over the omission during a photo session after the ceremony.
He said the South African President summoned relevant officials and directed them to address the matter, although the intervention came too late to include Nigeria’s speech in the initial livestream.
Fani-Kayode also disclosed that he declined an interview request from the South African Broadcasting Corporation over what he described as the deplorable treatment of the Nigerian delegation.
He thanked Ramaphosa for his intervention, while insisting that he would not tolerate any perceived disrespect towards Nigeria or its people.
