By Byron Mutingwende
Dr Godfrey Mugaviri has pledged to bring tangible development to Ward 2 of Norton that has for long been lagging behind on the social and economic fronts.
Norton’s Ward 2 faces many and varied challenges, amongst them, lack of public amenities, lack of recreational centres, lack of outside the box thinking on extra revenue generating projects, perennial road and drainage system dysfunctionalities, a worrying crime rate and a hazy ownership regime for the area which has tended to allow the local authority and the private land developer to shift blame to each other when called upon to deliver services.
Obviously, falling under the jurisdiction of a local authority council, which does not attach importance to constitutional service delivery, has tended to make all those challenges more pronounced.
“The solution to most, if not all these inadequacies lies in the residents of Ward 2 deploying to the Norton Town Council a representative who will put these issues to the fore without any political biases and loyalties which come at the expense of elective representation.
“That is also the important part that Ward 2 will have played in ridding the Norton Town Council of ineffective and corrupt representatives who certainly have not taken these contemporary issues more critically and seriously,” said Takwana Chipuriro a social and economic analyst.
Many hold the view that Dr Godfrey Mugaviri (45) is the man for the job. He is the current chairperson of the Norton Advisory Board, a civic body that has been tasked with holding the Norton Town Council accountable for services due to ratepayers and advising the current Norton MP, Hon Temba Mliswa, on issues affecting Norton and solutions thereon. Dr Godfrey Mugaviri has extensive experience in all sectors of the economy spanning over 25years.
Dr Godfrey Mugaviri is a firm believer in the TIPS management concept that emphasises and articulates the importance of technology, innovation, people and systems in addressing a multi-diversified array of existential challenges.
He holds a PhD in Management of Technology and Innovation, a Masters in Business Administration, a Masters in Business Intelligence and several other academic qualifications in Accounting and Finance, Marketing, Engineering, Quality Assurance and, Fitting and Turning.
“As a councillor for Ward 2 of the Norton Town Council (NYC), I will take the lead in advocating that the local authority adopt the T.I.P.S. management model, which is the panacea to all our problems, in Ward 2 and Norton as a whole. The present NTC councillors clearly have not grasped the required constitutional mandate of guaranteeing utmost service delivery and TIPS provides the much-waited solutions,” Dr Mugaviri said.
TECHNOLOGY
On technology he said Ward 2 and Norton as a whole must accept that development will never come outside a wholesome adoption of technological advancements in addressing water, road, security, amenities, communication including billing and rate payment technologies among many others.
He encouraged the local authority to move with haste to put in place fast, efficient and effective billing and rate payment systems. This will remove incidences of intra-institution fraud, which has contributed a lot to dry council coffers. The attempt to entrench a culture of technological savviness in children must be taken up by us, adults in the course of our service delivery duties.
INNOVATION
Ward 2 and Norton residents and ratepayers were told to come up with other means of institutional sustenance, over and above the traditional methods that local authorities use to raise revenue. The Norton Town Council should explore the income generation opportunities because of the town’s proximity to two major water bodies, export processing status, medical and domestic tourism which should provide the needed competitive advantage. Innovation can lessen the direct burden on residents and ratepayers.
“To that extent I wish to set and initiate innovations centres across most service delivery areas, Galloway youth community security company for ward 2 youths, internet centres through our local schools and institutions around Galloway.
PEOPLE – I envisage a Norton Town Council, which always places residents and ratepay- ers at the heart of all decisions and programs. NTC must, through my ward 2 councillor- ship, tap into the expectations and expertise available within the ward 2 residents and ratepayers generality through regular Ward 2 meetings. Challenges like crime can be easily addressed and solved through such engagements. To that extent will immediately set up police sub-stations around the suburbs.
“People emphasis also encompasses capacitation and upkeep of the local authority’s human resource base through rationalization, constant training and commensurate compensation for hard work,” Dr Mugaviri said.
SYSTEMS
The Aspiring Councillor said operational mechanisms available to ward 2 and Norton residents as a whole must be constantly improved.
“Public amenities, infrastructure and institutions within the local authority’s jurisdiction must be constantly evolved to keep pace with the authority’s ever growing population and economic activities. To this end systems design thinking will be embedded in all NTC systems set up and operational activities. Dear fellow ward 2 residents, as your potential councilor for Ward 2, l will work tirelessly to ensure that the interests of residents are respected and that their aspirations and the Norton they constantly yearn for all become a reality. With me, Dr Godfrey Mugaviri in the Norton Town Council as councilor for Ward 2, Galloway and Norton will never be the same again.”