THE Harare City Council is planning to ban chicken rearing for commercial purposes in residential areas.
These are some of the amendments which are being proposed in the Harare (Public Health) by-laws 2016.
During the discussions, it was agreed to amend S.I 582/62 so that relevant changes could be effectively captured and include provisions that would encompass provisions in line with currently global trends and also enable council to effectively enforce the public health by-laws and any other municipal by-laws in the municipal area of Harare.
“This would ensure that residents do not keep for commercial purposes chicken on residential properties to the detriment of other residents,” read minutes of the Environmental Management Committee.
It was also added that “recently council had experienced a number of complaints from residents complaining about neighbours who kept chicken or other poultry at their residential premises.
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The chicken made noise, caused stench smell and discomfort to the neighbours. Hence it was noted that the Harare (Public Health) by-laws S.I 582/62 needed to be updated to ensure that the number of chickens allowed per household was prescribed. Thereafter authorities would be able to enforce by-laws.
“Therefore, there was need to address these challenges to ensure effective enforcement on non-compliant residents,” read the minutes.
City authorities are now mapping a way forward.
However, it was noted that the proposed by-laws had to address some weakness like in the instance of section 25 “which provided for the rearing of poultry did not prescribe the maximum number of poultry that could be kept a household.
“This had caused problems in the residents who were keeping mostly chickens or quill birds (zvihuta) for commercial purposes and council could not regulate them since there was no prohibition on large numbers.
“The penalty clause was now outdated as it referred to a fine in pounds.
“The definition did not include chickens and quill birds,” added the minutes.
Other amendments noted by the committee include that for example “Below 300 square metres, a maximum of 25 poultry was permitted.
“For a property falling that is below 900 square metres, a maximum of 100 poultry was allowed,” added the minutes for the proposed by-laws.
It was added that in the new by-laws, penalty provisions for offenders will now be clearly outlined and the definition of poultry had been broadened to include chickens and quill birds.
Source-H Metro
