FFK refuses interview invitation after livestream exclusion - South African Broadcasting Corporation

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has confirmed that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, declined an interview request following his protest over the alleged omission of his remarks from a live broadcast of a diplomatic credential ceremony hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"We regret that the High Commissioner declined an interview with SABC News, reportedly because of his dissatisfaction with the livestream of the ceremony. We respect his decision and remain open to engaging with him and the Nigerian High Commission," the statement read.

 

While not directly addressing the specific technical complaint regarding the livestream feed, the SABC pushed back against descriptions labeling it a state-controlled outlet, emphasizing its legal status as an independent public service broadcaster and drawing a clear distinction between its editorial operations and the South African Presidency's internal livestream arrangements.

 

"Two points need clarifying. First, the SABC is a public service media, not a state broadcaster. Our mandate is to serve the public interest through independent, impartial and credible journalism. The Presidency’s livestream arrangements and SABC News’ editorial coverage are separate matters," the broadcaster stated.
 

 The corporation further maintained that it provided active coverage of the diplomatic event, which involved 15 newly accredited ambassadors presenting their letters of credence to Ramaphosa, noting that the ceremony was aired on its digital platform, that Fani-Kayode's arrival featured during a live broadcast crossing, and that footage of his interaction with the South African leader was published on its official social media channels.
 

"Secondly, SABC News did cover the ceremony. It was carried on the SABC News LIVE channel on SABC+, and the High Commissioner’s arrival was shown during a live crossing on the SABC News Channel (DStv Channel 404).
 

We also published a clip on our official X account of the High Commissioner speaking to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The SABC remains committed to upholding the principles of fairness, impartiality and editorial independence in its coverage, as well as value our longstanding relationship with Nigeria," the statement added.


The dispute stems from Fani-Kayode’s allegation that Nigeria’s segment was deliberately cut from the ceremony's livestream while the presentations of the other 14 envoys were broadcast uninterrupted, prompting him to reject SABC's interview invitation at the venue.


Although the South African Presidency subsequently uploaded the full recording of the Nigerian envoy's address to its YouTube channel, the incident has continued to fuel public exchanges between the Nigerian High Commission and Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.