adminInnocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council has repealed the Harare (Meat) By-Laws of 1976 and is set to replace them with stringent by-laws which, among other restrictions, will impose a one year jail term to illegal meat vendors trading both in open and built up areas.
The Harare (Meat) By-Laws of 2015 will also outlaw keeping, selling or supply of fresh butcher’s meat in a butcher shop, food premises or vehicles unless the meat had been inspected and certified fit for human consumption by a meat inspector employed by the State or council.
In terms of Section 5 of the proposed by-laws, livestock would be slaughtered at a slaughter house registered with the council, while Section 6 allows only persons registered by the city to supply game meat.
Section 7 of the proposed by-laws stipulates that game meat would be transported by specially designed vehicles, approved by the medical officer of health and clearly marked with the full name and address of the owner of the vehicle. In terms of Section 10, any person who breaches the by-laws would be liable to prosecution in a court of law and upon conviction could be ordered to pay a fine or imprisonment for one year or both.
According to the recent minutes of the Environment Management Committee chaired by Councillor Herbert Gomba, acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube, said the city’s legal division was in the process of updating several council by-laws in order to fill in the gaps which had been left unregulated.
“Recently, council has been inundated with sprouting meat vendors both in open and built up areas,” read the minutes. “Some people are conducting mobile meat vending.
This conduct posed a serious health challenge to the residents who consumed such meat and products and led to outbreak of diseases such as cholera or typhoid.
The amended by laws were approved subject to residents and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s approval.
This conduct posed a serious health challenge to the residents who consumed such meat and products and led to outbreak of diseases such as cholera or typhoid.
“As such, council had a role to play in ensuring that such unhygienic practice were not conducted in its area of jurisdiction. There was, therefore, an overdue need to repeal the by-laws and address these issues.”
Mrs Ncube said in drafting the proposed new by-laws lessons were drawn from other jurisdiction in neighbouring countries.
The committee noted the weaknesses of the repealed by-laws, chief among them that they did not have a provision for the offences and penalties arising out of breach of the by-laws and some of the definitions and provisions were now archaic and inapplicable.
The amended by laws were approved subject to residents and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s approval.
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