In a political turnaround, former DA defectee and PA member Liam Jacobs has officially returned to the DA, issuing a public apology on Tuesday for his "distasteful" and "disgraceful" departure from the official opposition last year.

Jacobs, who joined Gayton McKenzie’s PA last year, announced that he is returning to the DA not as a public representative, but as an ordinary activist.

Reflecting on his exit, Jacobs expressed “deep regret” for what he believes is the harm created for DA voters, leadership, public representatives, activists, and staff by his social media commentary and sudden departure.

“I left the DA in a manner that disrespected the organisation that went to great lengths to invest in my development,” Jacobs admitted. “I followed it up with statements on social media that caused great harm to the very people who extended their trust and support to me. My departure was disgraceful.”

He acknowledged that regaining the party's trust will take time.

“I do not expect forgiveness immediately. I understand that trust must be earned again, and I am committed to rebuilding it through my actions.”

Jacobs credited the DA with launching his political career, noting that the party took a young activist from the Northern Cape, developed his skills in Gauteng, and placed him in the National Assembly at just 23 years old.

“The DA believed in my potential,” he said.

He stated that his time inside the PA served as an “eye-opener”, claiming that what he "saw behind the curtain" was a political culture that explicitly contravened his personal values.

According to Jacobs, the internal instability of the PA became undeniable when McKenzie offered him a return to Parliament as a PA MP.

He declined the offer.

“I could not, in good conscience, serve the people of South Africa whilst being in the vehicle of the PA.”

He launched a scathing critique of the PA’s governance and internal structures, contrasting them with the DA's institutional systems.

Jacobs alleged that decisions within the PA are centralised and controlled by "one man", with no elected structures, internal accountability, or collective wisdom.

"Parties or governments cannot be run by live stream," he remarked.

He claimed the PA operates in a space of anarchy, enforcing discipline via "Facebook lives and social media", whereas the DA uses a “regular, constitutionally” bound system.

"The DA has a track record of good governance, but where the PA governs, people are put last, things collapse and promises are never kept," Jacobs claimed.

CRONYISM AND CADRE DEPLOYMENT

Jacobs expressed concerns regarding recent appointments within the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, a portfolio currently led by McKenzie in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

He alleged that the department mirrors "Zuma-era politics" by favouring political loyalists.

“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," Jacobs stated.

"What happened to merit? I refuse to play a part in the capture of our institutions. The PA strives to be what the ANC is: a buddy-buddy system.”

Jacobs further accused the PA of selling out its voter base to the ANC, describing the party as an "uncritical supporter" and "cheerleader" of the ANC both in public and within Parliament.

He argued that despite exposed ANC corruption, the PA has consistently failed to hold its coalition partner accountable.

In contrast, Jacobs praised the DA’s strategy within the GNU, arguing that the party remains “unafraid” to apply pressure, use the courts, and take to the streets to protect citizens, pointing to the DA's opposition to the VAT hike as proof.

He added that the DA's recent historic township ward victory in Emfuleni proves the party is not driven by "slogans en lekker tye", but by a genuine vision for all South Africans.

Jacobs says his immediate priority is to work on the ground to stop other young leaders from “making the same mistake”, with the goal of unseating the ANC and its "green proxies" to make the DA the largest party in South Africa.