South Africa and Rwanda have begun efforts to reset their strained diplomatic ties following a meeting between their foreign ministers in Pretoria.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola met his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe on Wednesday to advance the reset. They focused on normalisation while deferring sensitive topics including Rwandan dissidents in South Africa and the 2025 deaths of 14 South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lamola highlighted the commitment of Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Paul Kagame to re-energise bilateral relations. Nduhungirehe welcomed progress on visa facilitation for ordinary Rwandan passport holders within 12 months and noted Rwanda's recent lifting of its ban on South African agricultural imports.
The ministers agreed to hold a joint commission on cooperation in Kigali in the first quarter of 2027. A planned visit by Kagame to South Africa, originally scheduled for December, is now expected soon. Separate security discussions will address outstanding issues such as the 2014 diplomatic expulsions linked to the assassination of Patrick Karegeya.
