South Africa’s determined to repair relations with Rwanda despite a devastating attack by an official intelligence website in Kigali referring to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu as a prostitute.
South Africa also officially took umbrage at what it called undiplomatic language by Rwanda’s Deputy Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe
Pretoria officially demonstrated its anger by withdrawing its Ambassador to Kigali George Twala for consultations.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to Pretoria Vinvent Karega was summoned to the foreign ministry for an official dressing down.
The Rwanda government was incensed by Sisulu telling reporters in Pretoria that she had been in talks with General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former confidante of President Paul Kagame who sought refuge in South Africa after falling foul of the Rwanda leader.
At least three assassination attempts have been made on Nyamwasa in South Africa where he has formed the opposition Rwanda National Congress.
This has angered the South African government.
The last straw, however was the 2014 murder of former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya in a luxury Johannesburg hotel.
South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats based in Pretoria.
Rwanda responded by expelling six South African envoys in Kigali.
An inquest into Karegeya’s death will start in Randburg next year.
Prosecutor Yusuf Baba says it will last 15 days with at least 30 witnesses due to give evidence.
These include employees of the hotel where Karegeya was strangled with a curtain cord.
Karegeya’s family, who insist his death was ordered by Kagame, have welcomed this.
In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed his foreign minister to work on mending bilateral relations with Rwanda.
It has come to light that the white-collar-crime unit known as the Hawks have urged Home Affairs to delay issuing visas to Rwandans until the Karegeya inquest is completed.
At their meeting during the AU special summit last month, Ramaphosa assured Kagame this matter would be speedily resolved.
South African diplomats say since their protests in Pretoria and Kigali the insulting and undiplomatic tweets from Rwanda officials have ceased.