By Correspondent
Norton residents have urged Council to be innovative and use its assets to create new financial avenues to lessen their burden.
These sentiments were expressed during the ongoing 2025 Budget Consultations happening in the town.
Speaking during a Ward 7 meeting Ward 7 Councillor Tinashe Machemedze said Council was wasting resources.
“Norton Town Council has a beerhall which it has been renting out for, most likely, less than US$2000 a month.
“However, if they repurpose it into a Mall they could get as much as $20 000.
“That’s a low hanging fruit to lessen the financial burden for residents,” he said.
Other residents echoed the same sentiments.
“Council has been sending bills calculated from estimates and we are not able to pay such amounts.
“Other towns like Gweru have since come up with business models to raise money.
“If Council could do the same, it wouldn’t struggle with defaulting residents as the gap would be covered,” said another resident.
Other issues raised by Norton residents included water shortages.
However, officials said they were receiving only 5 mega litres per day from Harare City Council.
Plans for a water plant are still pending as the town has struggled to find investors.
