South Africa and Rwanda are mending their relations after a diplomatic fallout caused by insults from Kigali directed at International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

The relations between the two nations were strained after a pro-government website called Sisulu names over her comments after meeting exiled Rwandan army general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa.

The spat between the two countries saw reports emerge that SA's high commissioner to Rwanda George Twala had been recalled.

But yesterday, Dirco denied that Twala had returned to the country as a form of retaliation for insults aimed at Sisulu.

The department said Twala came back home so that he can assist a special task team set up to normalise the strained relations between the two countries.

Dirco spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said they had moved past the insults from a government-aligned website and Twitter comments made by Rwanda's foreign affairs deputy minister.

"The ambassador came back to South Africa for consultations on the normalisation of relations with Rwanda. There is a task team here at head office working on the thing [normalisation of relations]," Mabaya told Sowetan yesterday.

He said SA had lodged a protest with the Rwandan government through the country's ambassador.

Mabaya said: "These other matters happened when he [Twala] was here and that's when we said he must also consult his counterpart to express our unhappiness."

He added that though Sisulu had not taken well to being insulted, they had moved on.

"We have expressed our unhappiness to Kigali. We have said what we needed to say. What is left is for us to normalise our relations with Rwanda."

Mabaya explained further that as far as he knew the ambassador from Rwanda to SA, Vincent Karega, was also still in the country.

He said he expected that if Rwanda had recalled him they would have communicated through proper diplomatic channels.