Masvingo (Human Excreta and Dangerous Substances) By-laws 2025
Growing or irrigating vegetables with human excreta or raw waste water is banned in Masvingo — the council may slash the crop, and the fine is US$20, though obstructing an officer is printed as US$1 005.
These short by-laws prohibit the use of human excreta or any dangerous substance as fertiliser for vegetables and edible plants in the City of Masvingo area. They also prohibit irrigating edible crops with raw waste water, planting them along raw waste water flows or waterlogged areas, and selling human excreta for use as fertiliser.
A designated officer may slash or remove any vegetables or edible plants grown with human excreta or dangerous substances, irrigated with raw waste water, or planted on raw waste water flows or waterlogged ground.
The penalty is US$20 for using human excreta or dangerous substances as fertiliser, for selling them as fertiliser, and for selling vegetables or edible plants grown with them. Obstructing an authorised official is printed in the schedule as US$1 005,00 — a figure that sits oddly beside the US$100 obstruction penalty in the city's other by-laws of the same date and looks like a typographical error for US$100 or US$105.
Fines are payable in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.
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 them along waste water flows, are prohibited
- Council officers may slash or remove offending crops
- The fine for each fertiliser offence is US$20
- The obstruction penalty is printed as US$1 005,00, which appears to be a misprint
Who this affects
- Urban vegetable growers in Masvingo
- Market traders selling leafy vegetables
- Council environmental health officers
- Residents buying produce grown along storm drains
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.