Norton, Zimbabwe


Norton or Chivero is a town in the province of Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe. It is located about 40 km west of Harare on the main road and railway line connecting Harare and Bulawayo.

Demographics

According to the 1982 Population Census, the town had a population of 12,360. This
rose to 20,405 in the 1992 census 44,054 in the 2002 census, and 67,591 in the 2012 census.

History

The settlement began in 1914 when a railway siding was built. The town was named after the Norton family who were farming in the area since the 1890s and were killed in the First Chimurenga in 1896. The town grew as an administrative and commercial hub in a rich agricultural area. It later developed into a key industrial centre due to its proximity to water and power supplies, with a main intake point from the Lake Kariba hydroelectric dam to the national grid located nearby. The construction of the nearby Lake Chivero dam provided a further boost to development.

Economy

The farm lands surrounding the town produce a range of crops including tobacco, maize and wheat, and cattle rearing for the beef and dairy industries is also an important element of the local economy. From the 1960s onward, a large pulp and paper mill, a brewery and several factories were established in the town. However, these were badly hit by the economic crisis of the late 2000s.