Gayton McKenzie opens up on Liam Jacobs leaving the PA for the DA

Gayton McKenzie, the President and founder of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), shared his views on Liam Jacobs leaving the PA and rejoining the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The debacle started on 14 June 2025, when Jacobs announced that he was ‘finally free’ after leaving the DA and joining the Patriotic Alliance.

This made headlines because he was one of the youngest Members of Parliament (MPs), serving on the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, and Culture.

He was a rising star, known as the feisty member of parliament who asked probing questions and exposed poor performance at state-owned entities.

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

On Monday, 1 June 2025, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that Jacobs had been welcomed back into the party.

“His return to the DA reflects the kind of party we are building. A big, growing and inclusive political home for all South Africans who want our country to work,” he said.

“The DA is growing across communities and across the country because more and more South Africans can see that we are serious about the future.”

Hill-Lewis added that they are not interested in the politics of chaos, personality cults, and empty promises.

“Liam Jacobs left the PA because he saw firsthand that the PA never delivers on promises,” the DA leader said.

“People sometimes take the wrong road. What matters is whether they are willing to correct course and recommit to building a better South Africa.”

Hill-Lewis said that correcting course is a sign of maturity and bravery. “Liam has done that, and we welcome him back,” he said.

“We do not and will never subscribe to the school of politics that says once a bridge is burnt, it can never be repaired.”

He said South Africa needs a political alternative that is bigger than grievance, bigger than division, and bigger than any individual.

Gayton McKenzie opens up on Liam Jacobs

Gayton McKenzie discussed the matter in an interview, saying that Jacobs did not fit in with the Patriotic Alliance’s way of working.

“Liam didn’t work the ground. When we were working, he went to Rwanda. He never worked the ground with us. So, we could see he’s on his way out,” McKenzie said.

“He never understood that the Patriotic Alliance is not an upper-middle-class party. We are a party on the ground.”

“We have the lowest LSM voters. These are people with no income, no opportunities, and nothing. Those are the people who vote for PA.”

According to McKenzie, Jacobs struggled to speak to this audience. “We tried to move him around and expose him to that reality,” he said.

He added that there seemed to have been a conflict between Jacobs and Cheslyn Steenberg, the PA’s Mayoral Candidate for the City of Cape Town.

“When Cheslin arrived, there was a big change in our strategy. Liam then said to me that he did not think he was the right person for this,” McKenzie said.

“He said it to me, and I agreed. He just couldn’t break through on the ground. For me, I could never just let Liam go.”

“I found him at Parliament. As a brother-in-arms, the idea was to put him back there, because you can’t just throw someone like that away.”

“He trusted the PA. When it happened, I told the guys, ‘Let him go to Parliament, maybe we’ll see.’ But I always knew the ground was not for him.”

Although McKenzie still respects Jacobs as a politician, he did not mince his words. “So, he did what he did, and I must respect him as a man,” he said.

“I’m older than him. If Liam wants war with the PA, he should continue with what he’s doing. We will make social media very uncomfortable for him.”

McKenzie highlighted that he did not want to attack Jacobs. “We don’t want that. We don’t want war. We want to wish him well,” he said.