Liam Jacobs returns to the DA: A significant shift in South African politics

In a move that has once again set South African political circles abuzz, 25-year-old politician Liam Jacobs has announced his return to the Democratic Alliance (DA), less than a year after dramatically defecting to the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

Jacobs made the announcement in a Facebook Live broadcast, reflecting on a period of personal and political introspection that ultimately led him back to his former party.

"The past month has been what gets me going in the morning and what brings me to politics," Jacobs said during the live session. "We are taught that this country is all we have, regardless of the colour of our skin. We have each other, and it comes back to why we are in this space; we are here to defend."

Jacobs, who holds an Honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pretoria, said the decision was rooted in a deep re-examination of his values. He first rose to prominence as the leader of the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO) from 2022, before being elected to the National Assembly representing Gauteng in the 2024 general elections.

"When I look at my political career, is it in line with my values?" Jacobs said in the broadcast. "Do we want to see politics of cadre deployment and Zuma politics in another form? I don't think so. It should be the politics where everybody holds hands, politics of the heart, and it is that which is going to change this country."

He was unambiguous about the DA's role in South Africa's future: "The DA is the only party serious about defeating the ANC."

According to two senior DA party sources, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis made the case for Jacobs' return as a consultant during an online meeting on Sunday evening. Hill-Lewis himself took to social media to welcome the prodigal politician back.

"Welcome home. It's amazing to have you back in the DA," Hill-Lewis wrote. "It would be a mistake not to expect anyone to make mistakes. You have to learn and grow. When you left, Helen said something very profound, that you are a young man who is very talented, and as often, she was right. This is not about me, Liam, or Tertius. It's about making our country succeed."

The return is a remarkable political reversal. Jacobs had joined the PA in a bombshell announcement during a late-night Facebook Live session on June 13 2025, stunning political observers, particularly given that just days earlier he had accused PA leader Gayton McKenzie of running a "dictatorial party" and raised serious ethical concerns about appointments allegedly based on loyalty rather than merit.

He went on to serve as president of the Patriotic Youth Alliance and was announced as the PA's mayoral candidate for Cape Town in the 2026 local government elections. He also briefly served as a City of Johannesburg councillor, replacing Kenny Kunene, who resigned after being found at the home of a murder accused when police arrived to make an arrest.

Hill-Lewis's comment that "many former colleagues of the PA are reaching out to us" suggests the DA may be hoping to use Jacobs' return as a catalyst for further defections from the PA ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

Jacobs himself appeared to signal that his time abroad had reshaped his perspective: "International travel is important. You discover who you are outside of who you are. You discover your values."