By Thomas Thale
SLAUGHTER of animals by private individuals or groups in the city will only be allowed if the council has been notified beforehand.
The newly adopted public health by-laws require any person intending to slaughter an animal for religious or ceremonial purposes to "notify the council in writing, fourteen days prior to the event". The by-laws also require the slaughtering to be done away from the public.
The issue of animal slaughtering has been a subject of heated debates in various suburbs, pitting proponents of animal rights against traditionalists. Some residents object to the practice, dismissing it as cruelty to animals, while others fiercely defend it as their right to practice age-old traditions and religious rites.
It is customary for Africans to slaughter animals for feasts such as weddings or ceremonies such as funerals. Muslims also slaughter animals to observe qurbani, an Islamic prescription for the affluent to share their good fortune with the needy in the community.
According to Prema Naidoo, councilor responsible for health in the city, the public health by-laws seek to safeguard the city environment by regulating practices which may cause pollution.
Barbers who operate in the open and backyard panelbeaters may also fall foul of the public health by-laws. The new by-laws require them to operate from properly equipped premises to ensure that they don't defile the environment.
Owners of livestock, rabbits, pet shops, dangerous wild animals, panel beaters, scrap yards, hairdressers, nursing homes and crèches must apply for permits to engage in their trade. The environmental health inspectors will inspect the premises to ensure that they meet basic requirements and are properly equipped, before granting a "permit authorising such trade".
