Liam Jacobs and other people of colour who ditched the DA
Liam Jacobs' switch-up from the Democratic Alliance (DA) to the Patriotic Alliance (PA) has left many South Africans shocked and confused, especially after Liam's longstanding criticism and recent clash with the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture in a parliamentary committee meeting.
However, the outspoken MP is not the first person of colour to leave the political party.
Liam Jacob's decision to jump ship from the DA to the PA was made in a shock social media post on Friday, 13 June.
In a Facebook Live with Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie and MP Ashley Sauls, Liam revealed why he chose to leave the blue party for the green one.
The 24-year-old is known for his bold questions in parliament and thought-provoking videos on social media.
Liam claimed that in a recent parliamentary committee meeting, during which he critiqued the leadership of the National Arts Council, Gayton said something that touched him 'deep in my soul.' Liam Jacobs says he is 'home' after joining the Patriotic Alliance. Image: Gayton McKenzie/Facebook
He said of Gayton's words: 'He said to me, 'You call me a dictator when your party doesn't have one coloured person as a minister or deputy minister, despite coloured people making up the overwhelming majority of the vote'. When he said that, it was a moment when I swallowed my breath. At that moment, I knew it was time to come home'.
Liam Jacobs is not the first person of colour to leave the DA amid party disputes.
Here is a list of those who begrudgingly parted ways…
Patricia De Lille
In 2018, the coloured politician resigned as Mayor of Cape Town and as a member of the party, which she claimed had 'an environment of extreme hatred which serves no one'.
She now heads up her own party, the GOOD party.
Herman Mashaba
A year later, Mashaba quit his position as Joburg mayor and DA member amid an internal race row.
He said in his resignation statement: 'I cannot reconcile myself with a group of people who believe that race is irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in South Africa. I cannot reconcile myself with people who do not see that South Africa is more unequal today than it was in 1994'.
Herman now heads up the Action SA party.
Mmusi Maimane
A few days after Herman's resignation, DA leader Mmusi Maimane also quit. The Build One South Africa (BOSA) party leader stated at the time that former leader and Federal Committee chair Helen Zelle's Twitter (now X) posts about colonialism had 'created a mistrust between black and white people'.
Lindiwe Mazibuko
Over a decade ago, in 2014, Lindiwe Mazibuko – the DA's parliamentary leader, who, like Liam Jacobs, was often publicly criticised for brazenness – resigned from her post, and politics.
In 2020, she told eNCA of her departure, as well as that of Herman Mashaba and Mmusi Maimane: 'It is quite clear that there's quite an exodus of some of the most talented people in that organisation.
'It is captured by a certain faction.
'I think there is a challenge in opposition where there are dominant factions who challenge for power and leadership. My view is that the opposition is in crisis to challenge the status quo'.
Phumzile van Damme
In 2021, DA MP and shadow minister of communications Phumzile quit the party amid
Hinting at internal issues, she said at the time: 'My resignation as an MP is not because the DA is a so-called 'racist party' but because of a clique of individuals. And in order not to make the good women and men still in the DA suffer, I will not delve further into this.'
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