Liam Jacobs explains why he left the PA and returned to the DA

Liam Jacobs has set out his reasons for leaving the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and returning to the Democratic Alliance (DA), saying he regrets his earlier departure and must rebuild trust, according to IOL (Independent Online).

Apology and admission of mistake

In a statement released via the DA, Jacobs said:

“I should NEVER have left the DA in the first place. I believed Gayton. I believed the PA promises. I personally saw that I was misled by lies. I admit, I made a mistake.”

He apologised to DA supporters and staff for leaving in a manner he described as disrespectful and for social media statements that he said harmed people who had supported him. Jacobs said he does not expect immediate forgiveness and understands that trust must be rebuilt through his actions, according to IOL.

What Jacobs says he saw at the PA

Jacobs told IOL that, during his time with the PA, he “saw behind the curtain” and witnessed aspects of the party that he says contravened his values. He criticised the PA on several specific points in the statement.

• Allegation of alignment with the ANC: According to IOL, Jacobs said
  

  “The PA has sold out its voters to the ANC. It is an uncritical supporter, a cheerleader in fact. Both in parliament and in public.”

• Instruction to defend a member: IOL reports Jacobs said that
  

  “In the PA, we were instructed to defend Mr Fadiel Adams, saying that he was arrested because he was coloured.”

• Views on race and rhetoric: Jacobs said, as reported by IOL, that
  

  “The PA thinks all coloured people are the same; we are not.”

  He also told IOL that he found

  “the PA’s rhetoric… violent, not rooted in the rule of law, and has led to confrontational behaviour that I fear could incite further violence.”

• Internal party governance: IOL records Jacobs saying that
  

  “Decisions in the PA are made by one man. No one is elected. There is no democracy and everything is centralised, with no internal structures of accountability or collective wisdom.”

Concerns about appointments and governance

Jacobs told IOL he has concerns about a pattern of appointments linked to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, saying it is

“worrisome to see so many PA-aligned figures/members show up as board members, performers at events, and linked to events under the Mzansi Golden Economy.”

He framed this as a continuation of patronage practices he rejected.

Return to the DA and next steps

Jacobs said he returned to the DA after reflecting on his values and concluded the DA aligned more closely with them. He told IOL he would rejoin not as a public representative but as an activist committed to rebuilding trust and working to unseat the ANC.

This is the full statement sent on behalf of Jacobs by the DA, according to IOL (Independent Online).