JOHANNESBURG - A civil society group is calling on political parties to reveal their coalition plans ahead of the Local Government Elections.
In a letter to 20 parties, My Vote Counts urged them to inform voters about ongoing coalition talks and agreements. They have given the parties until 5pm on Monday to respond.
For several years, talks have focused on how to make coalition governments more stable and accountable.
"The 2021 framework and 2023 national dialogue on coalition governments both emphasise the importance of a common policy programme and mechanisms for resolving disputes," said the group's Noxolo Mfocwa.
It also aimed to make coalition agreements public.
"We continue to see a lot of instability in municipalities," said Mfocwa. These are caused by disagreements that happen between parties that can't stay in agreement.
"It affects citizens, the people who voted," she added.
Mfocwa said the information is necessary so that voters can exercise their constitutional rights. She said that when voters have meaningful information, the choices they make in relation to their vote become clearer.
According to Mfocwa, the number of hung councils has more than doubled. As a result, transparency is important.
Mfocwa said they had, so far, received positive responses from most political parties willing to publicise their agreements, as they are committed to trying to make coalitions work.