Taiwan office move lacks transparency: S African lawmakerISSUE: South Africa in 2024 announced it would categorize the office as a ‘trade office’ and relocate it from administrative capital, Pretoria, to JohannesburgStaff writer, with CNASouth Africa’s decision to ask Taiwan to relocate and rename its representative office in Pretoria lacked transparency and was not properly reviewed, a South African lawmaker from the country’s second-largest political party said. “There has been no full debate, no serious committee engagement and no attempt by the executive to explain itself in a transparent way,” said Janho Engelbrecht, a South African National Assembly member representing the Democratic Alliance party. It is unclear how widely Engelbrecht’s views are held in the 400-seat South African National Assembly, or even within his party, which holds 87 seats and is a key player in the governing coalition led by the ANC. DIRCO had asked Taiwan to move the office in 2024 and complete the move in six months, but did not announce it until the deadline was near. The representative office in Pretoria and South Africa’s office in Taiwan are still operating normally, the ministry said.

Source: Taipei Times January 17, 2026 17:15 UTC