Ray Nkosi | Local Government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, has instituted an investigation into alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders to land developers in Norton.

Norton Town Council is accused by residents of corruptly awarding tenders to companies which are developing both residential and commercial stands in the rapid growing Mashonaland west town.

In January, Member of Parliament for Norton, Temba Mliswa, met with Norton Town Council, where some of these complaints were raised by residents.

At the meeting, Mliswa, ordered Norton Town Council, to provide him with all documents that the local authority uses to run the affairs of the town, so that he could assist them lobby government to provide resources the local authority needed to improve service delivery.

According to Mliswa, Norton Town Council is yet to respond to his request. The local authority has also been snubbing his community development meetings he would have invited them to attend.

This week, through Mliswa’s initiative, Local Government minister, Saviour  Kasukuwere, met with   the Norton  Town Council,at his Harare offices,  and told the MDC-T run local authority to explain to him how they were giving tenders to land developers.

Kasukuwere, in the meeting is said to have told Norton Town Council that he was instituting an investigation into the alleged corruption in the council.

“The minister and the meeting were shocked to learn that some, if not most of all land developers do not have approved land development permits and council was failing to supervise them,” said one of the residents who was part of the closed door meeting.

“And the minister said that he was sending a fact finding mission to investigate and address the issue of land developers in Marshlands,  Galloway,  Kindsdale,  Tralfager,  Nkowe and Tangatara as they  are acting illegally by just continuing developing at times haphazardly  without following the law,” he said.

“Building on wetlands, again this matter  was discussed and noted that it  was illegal, and should be stopped and an investigating team will dispatched soon to get to the bottom of issues before action is taken,” the resident said.