3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
'I don't want to clap him': Helen Zille speaks out on Liam Jacobs
Helen Zille has broken her silence on Liam Jacob's shock decision to leave the Democratic Alliance (DA) in favour of the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
The former party leader claimed that there were 'no hard feelings' over the young MP's defection to the opposition.
Speaking to EWN this week, Helen Zille commented on former DA MP Liam Jacob's decision to suddenly leave the party for another he had publicly criticised.
She said: 'I like Liam, and I got on well with Liam. I don't want to clap him in any way.
Helen hinted that there were no hard feelings on her end. She continued: 'It takes many years in politics to know that getting bashed about is part of what you bought into. And to know that you mustn't take yourself too seriously, and to know that you're going to get clapped from every single angle. You just have to dust yourself and get on with it.'
The DA federal council chair alluded to Liam Jacobs's age and somewhat inexperience in politics.
She added, 'Young people come in and get into the spotlight and enjoy the limelight. But the minute you get the spotlight, the next thing is that you're going to have your head cut off. And you're going to have to survive it. It takes some hard knocks to get to that point.
'I say to young people that when you get disillusioned, when you get angry, just remind yourself that there has never been a single person who left the DA who wasn't sorry afterwards'. @nexwavesa #NexWaveSA #HelenZille #LiamJacobs #ActionSA #SouthAfricanPolitics #PoliticalDrama #SAnews #WesternCapePolitics #CoalitionTalks #BreakingNewsSA ♬ original sound – nexwavesa
In a Facebook Live with Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie and MP Ashley Sauls last month, Liam Jacobs 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.' Gayton McKenzie has praised Liam Jacobs's decision to join the Patriotic Alliance. Images via Facebook: @gaytonmck
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'.
He added, 'I knew I was being used.
'I feel genuinely loved and welcomed here. I am finally home'.
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