"I am home": DA MP Liam Jacobs joins Gayton McKenzie's PA
Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Liam Jacobs has officially joined the Patriotic Alliance (PA), just days after publicly clashing with PA leader Gayton McKenzie and accusing him of unethical leadership.
The bombshell announcement came during a late-night Facebook Live session on Friday, 13 June 2025, where Jacobs declared his allegiance to the PA.
His decision stunned political observers, especially in light of his recent criticisms of Minister McKenzie during a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting earlier this week.
In that session, Jacobs accused the minister of running a 'dictatorial party'. He raised serious ethical concerns about the appointment of PA members to positions allegedly based on loyalty rather than merit.
The heated exchange between Jacobs and McKenzie appeared to signal a deep rift, making Jacobs' sudden defection all the more startling.
Despite their very public spat, Minister McKenzie welcomed Jacobs into the PA fold, stating during the live broadcast that Jacobs is home.
Jacobs, now addressing his critics, explained that he had tough conversations. He said that after the exchange with Minister McKenzie, he did some reflection.
He said that the minister made him realise the truth when he told him that the DA has no coloured minister and that he was being used. This, according to Jacobs, was the turning point.
The DA has not yet issued an official response to Jacobs' defection.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape reported that its councillors assisted in cleaning the streets of Sydenham, Gqeberha, on the morning of Sunday, 18 May 2025, following a Patriotic Alliance (PA) rally held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor and DA councillor Retief Odendaal shared photos and comments on social media, voicing his frustration over the condition of the area after the event.
While he acknowledged that large gatherings typically generate some litter, Odendaal questioned why the PA had not taken responsibility for organising a post-rally clean-up.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
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.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Here's when the next group of SANDF troops may return to SA
On Friday, 249 troops touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. Another group of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members previously deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are reportedly expected to arrive in the country on Sunday. The officers were in the DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission. They were on the frontline of a conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebel fighters, which raged for three years in the East of that country until a ceasefire was called in April. On Friday, 249 troops touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. They have been transported to Bloemfontein to be debriefed, demobilised, assessed, receive counselling, and be reunited with their families. WATCH: The 249 troops arrive in SA WATCH || The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans is the Air Force base Waterkloof to welcome the first batch of Soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.#SANDF #MODMV #JointoperationsDivision #SAMIDRC #DRC — SA National Defence Force 🇿🇦 (@SANDF_ZA) June 13, 2025 SANDF chief of joint operations Siphiwe Sangweni said flights carrying troops will land in SA over the next few weeks. 'With bigger aircrafts, it will now be nine trips bringing our soldiers back to South Africa. The frequency of those aircraft moving will be almost every second day.' According to the SABC News, the next plane will arrive on Sunday. Around 2 000 troops from SA, Malawi, and Tanzania are reportedly still in the DRC. It is hoped that all SA military officials deployed to the region and their equipment will be back in SA by the end of June. 'We are fully aware that half the work is done in terms of prime mission equipment. Hence, we are working around the clock with our counterparts in the region to ensure that the process runs expeditiously with minimal logistical risks,' the minister said. Mission a success, says SANDF Last month, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) head, General Rudzani Maphwanya and defence minister Angie Motshekga called the mission a success and said it had contributed to peace in the area. The DA slammed this, calling the deployment a 'national tragedy'. 'The death of 14 South African soldiers and a further 174 injured in battle – brave men and women sent into an unstable conflict zone without air support, adequate equipment, or a coherent operational mandate – is not a success story. It is a national tragedy. 'Their blood is on Minister Motshekga's hands. Whilst the returning troops make their way back to South Africa, the minister continues to spin political fairy tales instead of reckoning with the facts.' It claimed that SA troops were paid less than a quarter of the stipend they were allegedly allocated, while Tanzanian and Malawian troops on the same mission 'earned nearly double'. ALSO READ: What is taking so long? Why SANDF troops can't get a lift home Minister a no-show to Parliament – twice No reason for the discrepancy had been given, but it was among the issues likely to come up when the minister appeared before Parliament on 9 May. But the minister did not show up. Instead, she was in Russia, on instruction from the ANC, to attend World War II Victory Day celebrations. While Parliamentarians raged, committee chairperson and ANC member Malusi Gigaba defended the minister. Motshekga failed to pitch to committee meetings again a week later. Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale and Chulumanco Mahamba NOW READ: 'A nation that values its military doesn't treat its soldiers as disposable'
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
'I'm finally free and at home': Liam Jacobs alludes to having quit DA for McKenzie's Patriotic Alliance
Outspoken MP Liam Jacobs has alluded to having left the DA for the Patriotic Alliance (PA), not long after he clashed with its leader, sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie. This comes after an initial post on social media platform X by McKenzie, where he shared a PA branded poster with the words: 'Welcome home, Liam Jacobs.' This was followed by Liam, taking to his profile on X, seemingly corroborating the move. 'Good morning South Africa I am finally free. The fight for truth, accountability and justice continues. I am finally home. Dankie mense [thank you people]. Dankie. En 'n groot dankie aan Pres McKenzie en alle Patriots wie my met ope arms en liefde aanvaar het [ a huge thank you to president McKenzie and all the PA members who welcomed me with open arms and love]. Let's go.'
