Illegal estate agents checked out

Wed, 10 May 2017 09:58:20 +0000

By CHINTU MALAMBO

 THE Zambia Institute of Estate Agents (ZIEA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Zambia Police and the National Prosecution Authority to remove illegal agents from business.

ZIEA president Logan Nyasulu said that there was need for  extreme compliance to the law of estate agency to promote professionalism.

Mr Nyasulu said that ZIEA was established by an Act of parliament with the express purpose of registering and regulating estate agency.

He said that any person or organization that was not registered with ZIEA under that Act should not be recognized as such.

“All non-registered persons are prohibited from claiming or acting as estate agents or doing anything that creates the impression that such persons are estate agents,

“To use a person who is not a registered estate agent is to support a criminal activity under the laws of Zambia,” he said.

Mr Nyasulu said that it was difficult for ZIEA to deal with those agents on its own and part of the solution required specialized skills of other institutions such as the Zambia police and the National Prosecution Authority.

He said that the police was needed to undertake investigations, necessary arrests and charge criminals in the industry.

And Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja said that the estate agency industry was currently characterized by a lot of illegal agents.

Mr Kanganja said that innocent people had lost millions of Kwachas at the hands of fake estate agents while others were sold properties that did not exist.

“The Zambia police has received hundreds of complaints and reports from members of the public who have been victims of real estate related frauds committed by illegal estate agents. Some have lost millions of kwachas at the hands of a fake estate agent.

Others still had their title deeds forged and their properties illegally sold behind their backs.  There are many different types of cases that have come before us and this is why the Estate Act No.21 of 2000 is an important piece of legislation,” he said.

Mr Kanganja said that the Zambia police was always keen to corporate with other government entities in fulfilling its mandate expressed in its mission statement.