On 25 March 2009, the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down judgment in the Mazibuko case. The case was an appeal against the judgment of the Johannesburg High Court (now the South Gauteng High Court) of 30 April 2008, concerning the sufficiency of the City of Johannesburg’s free basic water (FBW) policy and the lawfulness of prepayment water meters (PPMs). This article analyses the judgment.