Can real estate agents, developers be councillors?

AS part of our engagement efforts with the community in Chitungwiza, Seke and Manyame residential areas, our editor recently  sought community influencers to respond to the above question which makes the title for this page.

The following are their varied responses:

Disqualify them

EDITOR – I am honoured by your paper’s request for my opinion. While I am not aware of any councilor in that position, I feel that there is a need to disqualify property developers and real estate agents from holding the office of a councillor or mayor of a local council.

It is quite obvious that there is a need to draw a line as corruption and perceptions of corruption have bedevilled Chitungwiza and other councils for that matter.

In our case no political party has been immune to corruption. Both Zanu PF and the opposition parties among them the CCC should have learned the same hard lessons that residents have learned,

It’s time to put an end to this corruption in local councils once and for all.

If we choose to close our eyes or look the other way this will happen again and again. And who would be found wanting?

The political parties of course, those who brand themselves with corrupt candidates are also corrupt.

I want to make it crystal clear that it is my wish and hope that real estate agents and developers not must sit on local councils.

 I am not sure if the current legislation bars developers and real estate agents from seeking election to councils but if it does, it should be applied and if it does not, there is the challenge to our lawmakers.

In order to restore community confidence in local authorities, the real problem is allowing them to be councillors in the first place.

I wish to state I have nothing against the profession,   our community needs the experience and advice of real estate agents when buying or selling real estate property.

However, there is just too much of a conflict of interest in being a real estate agent and also sitting on a local council, the conflicts of interest are just too great to overcome when they sit as local councillors.

The power they wield is too tempting not to exercise that power to their own benefit.

Why not? But they never do that

EDITOR – There is almost no profession that cannot be influenced by such decisions.

Why not? Real estate agents know our town better and as long as one makes planning decisions and other issues related to the realty businesses without any personal bias, why not?

The issue is not can the councillor be influenced.

Will they be influenced?

However, the problem is, they never do that.

It’s how we vote, period

EDITOR – Before we go there, do we elect people based on their character or purely on personality or the promise of like-minded thinking?

Do we vote for a good person as defined by character or on issues?

The problem in Chitungwiza is that land barons and are the de facto estate agents

They come in many forms and some fund municipal election campaigns.

Others work with corrupt residents’ leaders to do their dirty work for them.

A diverse range of expertise among councillors can be beneficial for addressing a wide array of issues facing Manyame Rural District Council.

However, if councillors are directly involved in real estate, it could raise concerns about biases in decision-making related to land use policies, development projects, and other issues related to the real estate industry.

It is important for city council members to adhere to ethical guidelines and disclosure requirements to ensure transparency and accountability in their decision-making processes.

I urge residents with specific concerns about councillors and the potential conflicts of interest to reach out to local government watchdog organizations, ethics commissions, or other relevant authorities for further information and guidance.

EDITOR – This is not illegal at all but your question reveals a very real conflict of interest. Then again, to the extent that a councilor has a potentially vested interest in every decision,

Thank you for your robust journalism, a healthy democracy is founded in part on a healthy fourth estate.

Those who threaten or hate the media have a lot to hide.