Allegations of Racial Profiling Spark Resignation in ActionSA, R200,000 Legal Threat Revealed

• A former ActionSA councillor allegedly resigned over a contract dispute amid claims of political pressure
• Gen Durand alleged racial profiling and personal conflicts within ActionSA leadership
• Allegations of ActionSA councillors joining the Democratic Alliance (DA) reportedly intensified internal tensions

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

A former councillor for ActionSA stated that she resigned after refusing to sign a contract that allegedly binds councillors to the party until the 2026 local government elections.

Legal action for R200,000

Speaking to The Citizen, Gen Durand said she stepped down on Monday, 9 March 2026, after party representatives reportedly asked councillors to attend a meeting at a hotel in Johannesburg, where they were presented with agreements stating that councillors who leave the party before the elections could face legal action for R200,000. Durand said she refused to sign the document because councillors were not allowed to take copies or review the contracts at home, despite the financial implications. She said the agreement appeared legally binding and raised concerns among councillors.

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Sources close to the matter reportedly described the contract as a "political pre-nup" and claimed several councillors felt uncomfortable signing it but did so to keep their positions. Durand denied allegations that she intended to leave ActionSA to join the Democratic Alliance (DA), saying she had remained loyal to the party. She claimed she believed she had been racially profiled because she is white. Durand also alleged that ActionSA founder Herman Mashaba was placing party members in the middle of what she described as a personal conflict with Helen Zille.

What did Herman Mashaba say?

Mashaba rejected Durand's claims and said that the party had evidence that she and another councillor had applied to become DA councillors after the local government elections. He said the party had intended to refer the matter to a disciplinary council before Durand resigned. Mashaba alleged that Durand had been working for Zille, who is the DA's mayoral candidate, while still serving in the ActionSA caucus. He also accused Zille of attempting to weaken ActionSA ahead of the elections and claimed she had been contacting some of his councillors.

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Durand denied the allegations, saying she had never spoken to Zille or applied for a DA councillor position. She described the claims as unfounded and said the situation had left her emotional. Her resignation comes days after more than 30 ActionSA activists, including one proportional representation councillor, joined the DA at an event in Soweto attended by Zille. Those activists cited concerns about internal democracy, factionalism and bullying within ActionSA.

Briefly News has reached out to ActionSA for comment and is awaiting a response.

ActionSA welcomes two new groups, pushing councillor count to nearly 150

Briefly News also reported that ActionSA president Herman Mashaba announced that two political groups have merged with his party.

The move adds seven councillors, bringing ActionSA's national total to nearly 150. Mashaba will also challenge the DA chair, Helen Zille, for Johannesburg mayor.

Source: Briefly News