DA members accuse party of double standards after Liam Jacobs’ return

Former DA member Liam Jacobs has returned to the Democratic Alliance after a year with the Patriotic Alliance, prompting criticism from some party members who say the move shows double standards, according to Independent Online (IOL).

Members voice anger over warm welcome

According to Independent Online (IOL), several DA members expressed outrage that Jacobs was welcomed back into the party despite previously branding the DA as racist.

“Liam blatantly told the media that the DA is racist. He claimed that he felt uncomfortable, among other things. Now he waltzes back into the party and is welcomed so warmly,”

Shehana Kajee, a long-serving DA member, told IOL that the reception for Jacobs amounted to unequal treatment.

Claims of unfair treatment for long-serving members

Speaking to IOL, Kajee said two former DA members in KwaZulu-Natal one who had been a member for about 18 years and another with a similar tenure had their memberships terminated on what she described as “frivolous excuses” and that their appeals were ignored.

Other party insiders, IOL reports, voiced similar frustrations on social media. One example cited by IOL was a post by DA member Deon Smit, who wrote that Jacobs “should have been made to start from the very bottom” and questioned what Jacobs had contributed compared with long-serving activists.

Jacobs’ return and his reasons

According to IOL, Jacobs, 25, left the DA for the Patriotic Alliance a year ago and has now returned to the DA.

IOL reports that Jacobs previously accused the DA of using him to secure coloured voters and had labelled the party racist. IOL also reports Jacobs told the publication his decision to return followed months of reflection on his values and whether the Patriotic Alliance aligned with them, and that he concluded the DA was a better fit.

Party leadership response

IOL reports that DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has warmly welcomed Jacobs back to the party.

What members say this raises

Members quoted by IOL framed the episode as a test of the party’s commitment to transparency, fairness and consistent treatment of members. Kajee told IOL she would not be silenced when leadership made decisions she felt were contrary to the party’s Values Charter and said Jacobs “owes the party a public apology for insulting us on every media platform.”