Insiza Rural District Council (Human Excreta and Dangerous Substances By-laws, 2025
Insiza bans growing or irrigating vegetables with human excreta or raw waste water and lets council officers slash offending crops — but every penalty in the schedule is printed as US$0.
These by-laws prohibit using human excreta or any dangerous substance as fertiliser for vegetables and edible plants in the Insiza Rural District Council area, irrigating edible crops with raw waste water, planting them along raw waste water flows or waterlogged ground, and selling human excreta as fertiliser.
A designated officer may slash or remove any crop grown with human excreta or dangerous substances, irrigated with raw waste water, or planted on waste water flows or waterlogged areas.
Contravention attracts a fine in the schedule — but as published every entry, including using or selling human excreta as fertiliser, selling produce grown with it, and obstructing an authorised official, is printed as US$0,00. The removal power is therefore the operative sanction until an amendment sets amounts. Fines are stated to be payable in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.
The by-laws are the rural twin of the City of Masvingo by-laws made in the same month, which set US$20 for each fertiliser offence.
What changed
- Human excreta and dangerous substances may not be used or sold as fertiliser for edible crops
- Irrigating edible crops with raw waste water, and planting along waste water flows, are prohibited
- Council officers may slash or remove offending crops
- All penalties in the schedule are printed as US$0,00 as published
Who this affects
- Vegetable growers in the Insiza district
- Market traders selling leafy vegetables
- Council environmental health officers
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.