A court in Johannesburg has rejected an urgent bid by AfriForum to halt a significant increase in the city’s water demand management levy. The Gauteng High Court dismissed the organization’s application, allowing the 65.6% levy hike to proceed as planned. While this ruling addresses the urgency of the matter, the underlying legal challenge to the increase remains ongoing. The city of Johannesburg is now set to implement its new budget, which includes the contested levy. AfriForum argued the increase was unlawful and implemented without proper public consultation. The court’s decision focuses solely on the “urgent” aspect of the application, leaving the substantive issues for future consideration.