Gayton McKenzie says he never trusted Liam Jacobs after DA-U-turn

Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie criticised Liam Jacobs after Jacobs rejoined the Democratic Alliance (DA) just months after leaving the party for the Patriotic Alliance (PA). Speaking on a Facebook Live broadcast on Monday night, McKenzie said the PA had never trusted Jacobs and warned him to stop speaking publicly about the party.

McK’s public rebuke

During the broadcast McKenzie told Jacobs:

“Leave us out of it. If you continue talking nonsense about the PA, we will deal with you on social media.”

He said he had warned senior PA officials when Jacobs joined the party:

“I called the national chair, Marlon Daniels, and told him, ‘Don’t trust him’.”

McKenzie repeated that he had raised the same concern with the secretary-general and said:

“This boy is not who we think he is. We never trusted you in the PA. Nobody trusted you in the PA. If you want to go, just go. We won’t talk about you.”

Accusations and internal concerns

McKenzie alleged Jacobs had been given a prepared statement when announcing his departure from the PA:

“You were given a statement to read. I have a soft spot for you, but don’t play with this party. Join whoever you want to join, but leave the PA out of it and don’t lie about us,”

McKenzie said.

He also said senior PA leaders had concerns about Jacobs months before his exit and accused him of failing to engage with grassroots communities.

“When he didn’t work the ground while we were working, we could see he was on his way out,”

McKenzie said. He added:

“He has never understood that the PA is not a middle-class or upper-middle-class party. We are on the ground. Our supporters are people with no money, no opportunities and no income. He could not speak to them, and he never did.”

Jacobs’ movements and roles

The source reports Jacobs left the DA in June 2025 to join the PA while serving as a member of Parliament. After joining the PA he became president of the Patriotic Youth Alliance and was touted as the PA’s mayoral candidate for Cape Town in the 2026 local government elections. Jacobs also briefly served as a City of Johannesburg councillor after replacing former Transport MMC Kenny Kunene.

Responses from Jacobs and the DA

Jacobs said the past month had reminded him of what motivates him in politics and reflected on whether his career aligned with his values. He said:

“When I look at my political career, is it in line with my values?”

He added:

“Do we want to see the politics of cadre deployment and (former President Jacob) Zuma politics in another form? I don’t think so. It should be politics where everybody holds hands, politics of the heart. That is what is going to change this country.”

The DA welcomed Jacobs back. DA leader and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said Jacobs’ return reflected the kind of organisation the party was building and criticised what he called “the politics of chaos, personality cults and empty promises.” Hill-Lewis said:

“Liam’s return to the DA is a reflection of 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 also said:

“Liam Jacobs left the PA because he saw firsthand that the PA never delivers on its promises.”

What this means going into elections

The reporting notes Jacobs’ return has drawn mixed reactions, with some critics calling the move political opportunism and others questioning his ideological consistency. Political analyst Prof Theo Neethling was quoted as saying Jacobs’ decision to join the PA less than a year ago appeared impulsive and that Jacobs was ideologically more at home in the DA. Neethling added that the DA’s organisational structures could provide better opportunities for Jacobs’ political development and that his return could benefit the party.

Reporting from IOL.