Katungula advocates for the appointment of legal practitioner to sit on the ZIEA Council

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Former Registrar at the Zambia Institute of Estate Agents, Chaliafya Katungula is appealing for the swift appointment of a senior legal counsel or legal practitioner to the institute in conjunction with the Law Association of Zambia.

Engineer Katungula claims that the lack of senior legal counsel on the Zambia Institute of Estate Agents council has led to a multitude of illegal decisions being made and tolerated.

"In recent times, it has become increasingly clear that the Estate Agents Act has been grossly abused. The lack of a senior legal counsel on the ZIEA council has led to a multitude of illegal decisions being made and tolerated. The ZIEA's integrity has been compromised, with two ineligible members having sat on the council and drawn allowances. This egregious violation of our rules and regulations was not a secret, and even the ZIEA legislative committee agreed with my position, leading to the members' resignation.

However, this does not erase the fact that decisions made by the ZIEA council during their tenure are null and void and that drawing allowances illegally is a criminal act. It is with great concern that I note the current ZIEA council and its members are choosing to ignore these glaring irregularities. Further, there has been a lack of adherence to the Estate Agents (General) regulations 2016－SI No 3 of 2016.

Engineer Katungula also purports that in the recent past, it has become increasingly clear that the estate agent act has been grossly abused.

He is deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the real estate sector to money laundering, considering the Zambia Institute of Estate Agents’s pivotal role in regulating the sector as acknowledged by the financial intelligence center.

"I am deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the real estate sector to money laundering, especially considering the ZIEA's pivotal role in regulating this sector as acknowledged by the Financial Intelligence Centre. It is unacceptable that those tasked with regulation could be implicated in financial irregularities themselves as they are practitioners and in the process shield themselves against what the law provides," he said.

Engineer Katungula has urged Minister of Local Government, Garry Nkombo to reassess the circumstances surrounding the current Zambia Institute of Estate Agents council’s appointment.

He has explained that the ZIEA has a lawsuit against me a former employee at the industrial relations court, a situation that could have been avoided had legal counsel been in place as stipulated by Act No. 21 of 2000. 

Eng Katungula says with an estimated 5,000 non-registered estate agents in Zambia, the compliance rate with the Estate Agents Act is strikingly low. 

"The high cost and complexity of becoming a licensed estate agent contribute to this issue, and the current fee structure should be revised to encourage better regulation," he said

He has urged the Minister to reassess the circumstances surrounding the current ZIEA council's appointment, especially considering their apathy towards the illegality of the two members' participation. 

Eng. Katungula says the lack of oversight by a legal practitioner not only undermines the Estate Agent industry but also poses serious risks of money laundering. 

"Our regulatory bodies must be composed of qualified, ethical individuals to uphold trust and legitimacy within the real estate sector," he said.

Ends

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