JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — Residents will soon be billed under the newly proposed Johannesburg water rates after the local High Court dismissed an urgent application by the lobby group Afriforum. The court’s decision paves the way for the controversial 65.6 water rate increase to take effect in July, despite strong objections regarding the levy’s legality and transparency.
The new tariffs are scheduled to take effect in just seven days following the ruling, meaning households and businesses will begin paying the increased amounts starting July 1. The implementation comes despite fierce pushback from opposition parties and civil society organizations.
Afriforum approached the Johannesburg High Court seeking urgent intervention to have the new rates declared illegal and unconstitutional before the July 1 deadline. Representatives for the lobby group argued that the newly introduced levy is purely intended for infrastructure and has no actual bearing on “water demand management.”
Furthermore, Afriforum contended that the municipality failed to follow proper legal procedures regarding fixed levies. While they acknowledged that norms and standards make a provision for a fixed levy, the group argued that the city is legally required to provide users with a clear, itemized breakdown of the costs associated with each component. Afriforum maintained that no such breakdown was provided, rendering the levy unlawful.
In its defense, the Johannesburg municipality maintained that there is nothing untoward about the levy increases. The city argued that the existing norms and standards do indeed allow for the provision of a fixed levy. Additionally, municipal representatives pointed out that Afriforum failed to launch their objections in a timely manner and did not utilize the appropriate official channels to air their grievances.
The presiding judge at the Johannesburg High Court limited the ruling strictly to whether the matter met the legal threshold for urgent intervention. After listening to arguments from both sides, the judge was not convinced by Afriforum’s plea for urgency.
The court found that the applicant failed to demonstrate that “irreparable harm is apparent.” Taking into due regard the mechanics of the matter and the nature of the dispute, the judge ruled that the case does not belong on the urgent court roll. Instead, the court determined that the matter should be dealt with in the ordinary course of business and proceed on the ordinary roll. Consequently, the application was officially struck from the urgent court roll.
Following the dismissal, Afriforum noted the judgment and stated that it will take time to consider its legal options moving forward. Meanwhile, the municipal implementation continues as planned, and Johannesburg residents will be billed according to the new rates starting in July.