‘Internal conflict’ at the centre of Liam Jacobs leaving the PA

Questions have been raised about whether there is more to Liam Jacobs’ resignation from the PA, with an analyst pointing to signs of division within the party.

On Monday, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that Jacob’s has returned to the DA after almost a year as a PA member and deployee in government structures.

Speaking to The Citizen on Monday, political analyst Wayne Duvehnage said Jacobs most likely left the PA because of “internal conflict within the party”.

“We can clearly see that the political playing field is heating up, and there is no doubt there is a lot of tension within parties and between parties,” he said.

Reasons for leaving

Reflecting on his departure, Jacobs said he had left the PA for several reasons, including claims that the PA is being used by the ANC.

“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, the ANC’s corruption destroys lives and robs futures.

“Yet, no matter what ANC corruption is exposed, the PA never holds them to account,” he alleged.

Jacobs alleged PA members were also told to support beleaguered National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams when he faced legal problems.

“Criminal culture is not coloured culture. However, in the PA, we were instructed to defend Mr Fadiel Adams, saying that he was arrested because he was coloured.

“This is false, the allegations against Adams are his own, he must answer for his actions. His decisions are not a reflection of the coloured community. The PA thinks all coloured people are the same; we are not.

Jacobs said he also believes there are no functional democratic processes in the party, and that cadre deployment had opened the door to questionable appointments that continued the “Zuma-era politics that defined South Africa’s worst years.”

“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. No checks or balances. There are no meaningful systems to build policy, do oversight, train or build the institutional depth that the work of government requires.

“Parties or governments cannot be run by live stream either.”

Gayton warns Jacobs

Tensions between Jacobs and his former leader, Gayton McKenzie, were clear in the hours after his departure.

Taking to social media on Monday evening, McKenzie told Jacobs to “Los die PA uit jou mond (Leave the PA out of your mouth)”.

“Liam didn’t work the ground. When we were working, he went to Rwanda. He never worked the ground with us, so we could see he was on his way out.

“He’s never understood. PA is not an upper-middle-class party. We are on the ground. We are the lowest Living Standards Measure (LSM) – the lowest people who have no income vote for the PA. He cannot speak to them, and he’s never spoken to them,” McKenzie said.

Back home in the DA

Political analyst Theo Neethling said he believes Jacobs made a mistake by leaving the DA last year.

“I personally believe that his political future is better served within the DA, primarily because it remains the only opposition party capable of mounting a sustained and credible nationwide challenge to the ANC.

“There is also little doubt in my mind that Jacobs is ideologically more at home in the DA. Furthermore, the DA possesses significantly stronger organisational structures and institutional capacity to support a young politician such as Jacobs in developing his political skills and advancing his career,” said Neethling.