By Trevor Makonyonga
A devastating tide of panic that has hit Norton, as residents are being served with summons for unpaid council bills. The local governing body has engaged lawyer and former cabinet minister, Paul Mangwana to try and recover the owed dues.
Reason for the panic is that the letter is headlined, “Notice of inspection to attach” which has made residents to fret over the possibility of losing their property. The letter also advises owing residents to “immediately visit Norton Town Council head office to make a payment.” Failure of which, as the letter supposes, “the Messenger of Court will come to collect your identified property for sale including your house.”
The City fathers have however shockingly disqualified the seriousness of the letter saying that the letter was being served to create a sense of urgency in the owing residents. Norton Town Deputy Mayor, Cllr Peter Nyamadzawo, “We want the residents to come to our offices and talk to us over this issue we are not trying to attach their properties.
“We are aware that most of our residents are unemployed due to the closure of industries so we could never be hard on them. But we also need them to pay up for the services we give to them because it is their responsibility. We want our residents to pay the mandatory monthly payment of US$7 and make a payment plan for the debt.”
Nyamadzawo said this whilst addressing a section of residents at Mbira Dzenharira Culture Centre in Katanga Norton. The deputy town boss also said that the council is surviving on a budget of US$2 million instead of the supposed US$4 million. He said that it was necessary for council to recover the owed debts so as to supplement the annual budget.