Liam Jacobs turns his back on Gayton McKenzie and re-joins Geordin Hill-Lewis’ DA

Liam Jacobs, the former rising star in the Democratic Alliance (DA), who ditched his party for the Patriotic Alliance, is now back at the DA.

Jacobs, born in 2001 in Kimberley, Northern Cape, has drawn significant attention as a rising young figure in the country’s political landscape.

At 23, he was one of the youngest Members of Parliament (MPs), serving on the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, and Culture.

He became known as the feisty member of parliament who asked probing questions and exposed poor performance at state-owned entities.

On 14 June 2025, Jacobs announced that he was ‘finally free’ after leaving the DA and joining the Patriotic Alliance.

In June 2025, Jacobs made headlines by leaving the DA to join Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance (PA).

The move was highly publicised, especially since he had clashed robustly with Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie.

Jacobs cited issues regarding representation and how identity was handled within his former party as primary motivators for his departure.

“The fight for truth, accountability and justice continues. I am finally home. Thank you, people, thank you,” he said.

He thanked and praised McKenzie, who is the President and founder of the Patriotic Alliance. “He accepted me with open arms and love,” he said.

However, since then, he has made little political progress. He did not enjoy the same attention as a DA member of parliament.

On 17 April 2026, he announced that he would be returning to Parliament under the banner of the PA.

“My focus will be to protect the public purse of the people of South Africa and to hold those who are the custodians of the public purse to account,” he said.

He also promised to change the lives of ordinary South Africans through visible, tangible and palpable service delivery.

In a surprise development, Jacobs has now rejoined the DA less than two months after the announcement that he would return to Parliament.

His return to the DA was announced in a highly publicised DA video, stating, “Home is where the heart is. Welcome back, Liam Jacobs.”

The video featured Jacobs, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis, and a group of DA members. “Sometimes, the road out is the road back,” he said.