Political parties have until 17:00 on October 5 to respond to nongovernmental organisation My Vote Counts (MVC) and outline their plans for coalition negotiations before the local government elections on November 4.

MVC argues that voters should have this information before casting their ballot, citing Section 19 of the Constitution, which protects the political rights of citizens.

MVC has written to 20 political parties to gauge the principles they will use to determine coalition partners, non-negotiable manifesto commitments in coalition agreements, parties they have ruled out from coalitions after the elections and whether parties will publish all coalition agreements.

"We are not asking parties to predict the electoral arithmetic or bind themselves to negotiations that have not happened. We are asking them to disclose the principles, red lines and exclusions that will shape those negotiations. That information belongs to voters before they cast their ballots," said MVC advocacy leader Noxolo Mfocwa.

He argued the need for transparency, and said by publishing coalition agreements, residents, civil society organisations, journalists and opposition parties can better hold coalition partners accountable for their commitments.

MVC has promised to publish the answers received from any political parties, as well as to make public the ones that failed to respond.

MVC Project Lead: Money in Politics Joel Bregman pointed to unstable government and interrupted essential services when agreements are negotiated in secret.

"The standard should be straightforward: parties do not have to reveal the outcome of negotiations that have not yet happened, but they should reveal the principles and limits that will govern those negotiations. Once an agreement is reached, the public should be able to read it," Bregman said.