ActionSA is under fire after a former councillor claimed party members were pressured to sign contracts threatening legal action and a R200 000 penalty if they leave before the 2026 local government elections.

Gen Durand, who resigned on Monday, said councillors were called to a Johannesburg hotel meeting where the contracts were presented. She claimed members were not allowed to take the documents home or study them properly before signing.

Durand said she refused to sign because the agreement carried serious financial implications. She described it as legally binding and said the process raised major red flags.

Former Councillor Alleges Intimidation

Durand believes the contract was part of a broader effort to identify councillors who may be planning to leave the party.

She said many councillors were uncomfortable with the agreement but felt pressured to sign because they wanted to keep their jobs. Sources quoted in the report also described the contract as a “political pre-nup”.

Durand denied claims that she was preparing to defect to the DA. She also said she felt unfairly targeted and accused the party of drifting away from its stated values.

She further claimed ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba was pulling the party into his personal battle with DA federal chairperson Helen Zille.

Mashaba Hits Back

Mashaba rejected Durand’s version of events and said the party had evidence that she and another councillor had applied to become DA councillors after the local government elections.

He said ActionSA was preparing to take Durand to a disciplinary council before she resigned. Mashaba also alleged that she was working for Zille while still serving inside the ActionSA caucus.

Mashaba went further, accusing Zille of trying to damage his party ahead of the elections and claiming she had been contacting some of his councillors.

Durand denied those allegations and insisted she had never spoken to Zille or applied for a DA councillor position.

Fresh Tension After Defections

The row comes just days after more than 30 ActionSA activists, including one PR councillor, were welcomed into the DA at an event in Soweto.

Those defectors accused ActionSA of lacking democratic processes and alleged bullying and factionalism inside the party.

The latest dispute now adds to growing pressure on ActionSA as political tensions rise ahead of the 2026 local elections.