Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has appointed former Democratic Alliance MP Liam Jacobs (above) as a councillor in the City of Johannesburg. (@LiamJacobsZA/X)
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has appointed former Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Liam Jacobs as a councillor in the City of Johannesburg, replacing suspended PA deputy president Kenny Kunene.
McKenzie made the announcement on Tuesday, saying he would formally notify Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero of Jacobs’ deployment.
Kunene resigned as a councillor and member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for transport recently after it emerged he had been at the residence of murder suspect Katiso “KT” Molefe on the day of his arrest. Molefe has been accused of being the mastermind behind the murder of musician Oupa John “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka in November 2022.
Kunene confirmed he was at Molefe’s home on the day of the arrest, but claimed he was only there to facilitate an interview with Molefe for a journalist from his online publication, Africa Global News. The PA placed Kunene on special leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into his ties with Molefe.
In his resignation letter to Johannesburg council speaker Margaret Arnolds, Kunene denied any wrongdoing but said he would step aside to allow for a full investigation by the party. But resurfaced images on social media of Kunene and Molefe together have fuelled speculation about their relationship.
On Tuesday, McKenzie said the move forms part of a broader strategy to prepare Jacobs for higher office, with the party having already named him as its mayoral candidate in Tshwane. McKenzie said the Johannesburg council role would provide Jacobs with hands-on local government experience.
“We want him to get the experience, help fix potholes and continue the good work that the deputy president [Kunene] has been doing. This is his opportunity to show that he is not just someone who points out problems but a leader who can be part of the solution.”
The 24-year-old joined the Patriotic Alliance in June, after being sworn in as a DA MP following the 2024 general elections. He had served on parliament’s portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture, and his surprise defection came after a heated exchange with McKenzie during a committee meeting. Despite their clash, Jacobs said he felt “used” in the Democratic Alliance and welcomed by the PA.
After his appointment as councillor, Jacobs posted on social media platform X: “Pointing out problems is easy. Fixing the problem is the real work. Let’s get to the real work! Salute.”
McKenzie said Jacobs’ deployment to Johannesburg was part of the wider plan for the party to intensify its campaign efforts ahead of the local government elections next year.
He said the party would also pay special attention to the Western Cape, where he has accused the DA and ANC of betraying the PA in coalition arrangements. He warned that the party would aggressively contest by-elections in municipalities where it had been sidelined.
“We must teach the DA and ANC a lesson. A touch is a move. We have declared war in the Western Cape,” he told supporters, referring to the party’s loss of the Laingsburg mayoralty in June after the ANC sided with the DA.
In May, the PA claimed a ward from the ANC in the Northern Cape town of Sutherland. McKenzie now has his sights set on the Langeberg municipality, where former ANC councillor Johannes January has defected to the PA. The party is also targeting Knysna and Matzikamma in by-elections set for August.
McKenzie dismissed suggestions that the PA was a proxy for its national unity government partners, insisting the party would not be beholden to either the DA or ANC despite working with both at national and local levels.
“A vote for the PA is not a vote for the DA or ANC. We’re the fastest-growing party in the country, and we will continue to contest everywhere, no matter who our coalition partners are,” he said.