CHAPTER 27:15

VETERINARY SURGEONS ACT

Acts 36/1973, 27/1979, 15/1981, 29/1981, 22/1982; S.I 566/1979, 22/2001 (s. 4).

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART I

PRELIMINARY Section

1. Short title.

PART II

COUNCIL OF VETERINARY SURGEONS

3. Establishment of Council of Veterinary Surgeons.
4. Succession to existing Council.
5. Composition of Council.
6. Functions and expenses of Council.
7. Conditions of office of members.
8. Appointment of members on failure of voters to elect members.
9. Disqualification for appointment as member.
10. Vacation of office.
11. Minister may require member to vacate office or suspend him.
12. Filling of vacancies on Council.
13. Chairman and vice-chairman of Council.
14. Meetings and decisions of Council.
15. Committees of Council.
16. Validity of decisions and acts of Council.
17. Funds, accounts and reports of Council.

PART III

REGISTRATION

18. Registrar of Veterinary Surgeons.
19. Veterinary Surgeons Register.
20. Duties of Registrar and certificates of registration.
21. Offences in connection with Register, etc.
22. Publication of Register.
23. Register to be evidence.
24. Persons deemed to be registered.
25. Residence of registered persons.
26. Qualification for registration.
27. Procedure for registration.
28. Temporary registration.
29. Erasures from Register.
30. Restoration to Register.
31. Appeals against refusal to register or erasure from Register.

PART IV

DISCIPLINARY AND OTHER INQUIRIES

32. Inquiries by Council.
33. Exercise of powers by Council after inquiry.
34. Exercise of disciplinary powers on conviction for offence: court to forward evidence.
35. Registered persons becoming unfit to practise.
36. Appeals to High Court.
37. Publication of result of disciplinary proceedings.
38. Council not to be liable.
39. Improper or disgraceful conduct.
40. Recovery by Council of costs or penalty.

PART V

DISABILITIES OF UNREGISTERED PERSONSAND OFFENCES

41. Remuneration not recoverable by unregistered persons.
42. Certain certificates, etc., invalid if signed by unregistered persons.
43. Unregistered persons practising as or representing themselves to be veterinary surgeons.
44. Impersonation of registered persons.
45. Burden of proof.

PART VI

GENERAL

47. Notification of change of address.
48. Regulatory powers of Council.

SCHEDULE: Operations, Treatments, Tests, Advice, Diagnoses and Attendances Which May be Performed, Given or Provided by Unregistered Persons.

AN ACT to consolidate and amend the law regulating the practice of the profession of veterinary surgery and medicine in Zimbabwe; and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing.

[Date of commencement: 8th February, 1974.]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

1    Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act [Chapter 27:15].

                       2    Interpretation

• In this Act—

“appointed day” means the 8th February, 1974;

“Council” means the Council of Veterinary Surgeons established by section three;

“Director of Veterinary Services” means the Director of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture;

“former Council” means the Council of Veterinary Surgeons of Zimbabwe established by the repealed Act;

“improper or disgraceful conduct” means—

• improper conduct or disgraceful conduct or conduct which, when regard is had to the profession of veterinary surgery and medicine, is improper or disgraceful, whether defined in regulations referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section thirty-nine or not; and
• for the purposes of paragraph (c) of section nine, includes disgraceful conduct or negligence on the part of a person in his capacity as a veterinary surgeon referred to in Part V of the repealed Act;

“local examinations” means the local examinations referred to in subsection (3) of section twenty-six;

“Minister” means the Minister of Agriculture or any other Minister to whom the President may, from time to time, assign the administration of this Act;

“Register” means the Veterinary Surgeons Register referred to in subsection (1) of section nineteen;

“registered” means registered in the Register in terms of Part III;

“Registrar” means the Registrar of Veterinary Surgeons appointed in terms of subsection (1) of section eighteen;

“repealed Act” means the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961).

For the purposes of this Act, the practice of veterinary surgery and medicine shall be deemed to include the performance of any single operation and the giving or providing on one occasion of any treatment, test, advice, diagnosis or attendance such as is usually performed, given or provided by veterinary surgeons