South Africa has appointed a High Commissioner to Rwanda, two years after recalling the previous one.

Mandisi Bongani Mabuto Mpahlwa has been appointed to serve as the new High Commissioner replacing George Twala who was recalled in December 2018.

High Commissioner-Designate on Thursday, December 3 presented copies of his credential letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Vincent Biruta.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry termed the development as an “occasion to discuss ways to further strengthen Rwanda and South Africa bilateral relations.”

Earlier this year at a press conference, Biruta had said that relations between the two nations were in the process of resuming normalcy and visa issues would be addressed in due time.

Since 2014, the relations between the two countries have been strained which has had an impact such as the inability of Rwandans to travel South Africa due to the country’s visa policy on Rwanda.

In March 2018, there was a sense of optimism when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in Kigali that the issue of visa restrictions against Rwandans travelling to his country should be “considered solved.”

Early this year, Rwanda welcomed a new South African law that bars refugees from engaging in political activities in their territory, which is expected to curb Anti-Rwanda terror groups who have been operating from the country.

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