Beaven Dhliwayo
Group Features Editor
The appointment of a new Valuers Council of Zimbabwe board marks more than a routine change of office bearers. It comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s property market is increasingly becoming central to investment decisions, infrastructure development, financial sector stability, and local authority revenue generation, placing unprecedented responsibility on the country’s valuation profession.
Elected in terms of Section 5 of the Valuers Act [Chapter 27:18], the seven-member council begins a three-year mandate with a blend of private sector expertise, public sector experience, and local government representation. The composition reflects the broad spectrum of institutions that depend on credible property valuations—from pension funds and banks to municipalities, investors, and the government.
Leading the council is Mike Eric Juru of Integrated Properties, one of Zimbabwe’s most recognised real estate professionals, whose appointment as chairperson places an industry veteran at the helm of the country’s valuation regulator.
The Valuers Council occupies a critical but often understated role within Zimbabwe’s economy. Established under the Valuers Act, the statutory body is responsible for regulating the valuation profession, maintaining professional standards, registering valuers and safeguarding public confidence in property valuations. Its work underpins decisions involving mortgages, compensation, taxation, insurance, public infrastructure, mining projects and investment transactions.
For a country seeking to attract domestic and foreign capital while modernising its infrastructure, the credibility of property valuations has become increasingly important. Accurate valuations influence lending decisions, investment risk assessments, municipal rating systems and compensation for compulsory land acquisitions.
Against that backdrop, Juru’s election represents continuity combined with renewed expectations.
Few professionals have accumulated a profile as broad as his within Zimbabwe’s property industry. With more than a quarter-century of experience as a registered valuer and estate agent, Juru has built a reputation extending beyond conventional property practice into corporate governance, sustainability, and institutional leadership. He previously served as vice-chairman of the Valuers Council, giving him intimate knowledge of the regulator’s operations before assuming the chairmanship.
As founder and chief executive of Integrated Properties, Juru has overseen the growth of a consultancy that has become one of Zimbabwe’s leading valuation and advisory firms. The company has distinguished itself through international quality management certifications while expanding into engineering, construction management, and sustainability consulting—reflecting changing global expectations of the real estate profession.
His professional footprint extends well beyond valuation practice. Over the years, he has served in leadership roles within the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, and corporate boards, establishing himself as an advocate of stronger governance within Zimbabwe’s property industry. His election therefore places an experienced institutional leader in charge of a regulator whose influence continues to grow alongside the country’s evolving property market.
Joining him on the council as vice chairperson is Joyline Mukundu of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), bringing one of Zimbabwe’s largest institutional property owners directly into the regulatory framework.
NSSA’s extensive investment portfolio spans commercial buildings, residential developments, industrial properties and strategic real estate investments across the country. Property valuations play a central role in protecting contributors’ funds, ensuring prudent investment decisions and maintaining transparency within pension asset management.
Mukundu’s experience therefore introduces the perspective of institutional investors whose decisions rely heavily on accurate, defensible valuations capable of withstanding financial scrutiny.
Another familiar face returning to the council is Elvis Benhura, chief executive of Property Track, whose career has been shaped by extensive work across both the public and private sectors.
Benhura has earned recognition as a registered valuer, registered estate agent and member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), while previously serving on the Estate Agents Council of Zimbabwe. His professional experience includes government valuation work, infrastructure compensation projects and municipal rating valuations, giving him practical exposure to some of the country’s largest and most technically demanding assignments.
His involvement in landmark projects—including valuations linked to the Hwange Power Station expansion and municipal general valuation rolls—has equipped him with experience at the intersection of infrastructure development, public administration, and private investment. That breadth is likely to prove valuable as the council continues strengthening professional standards amid growing demand for specialist valuation expertise.
Luke Matimba, representing the City of Harare, further reinforces the council’s technical capacity. Matimba has made significant contributions to the advancement of the real estate profession through various leadership roles. He served on the Board of the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe (REIZ) for six years, including a tenure as Vice President of the Institute. He also served on the Estate Agents Council of Zimbabwe Board for nine years, where he chaired several key committees, including the Disciplinary and Professional Practice Committee and the Accounts Review and Compliance Committee.
More recently, Matimba was elected to the Valuers Council of Zimbabwe, where he chairs the Education, Climate and Sustainability, Public Relations, and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. His leadership continues to promote professional excellence, ethical practice, and sustainable development within the valuation profession. A Registered Estate Agent and Registered Valuer, Luke is also a member of the South African Institute of Valuers (SAIV). He holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Real Estate Management from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management. Matimba is a Fellow of the Valuation Division of the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe. He has served as a moderator for the Institute’s Economics and Property Management examinations and currently serves as the examiner for the Sales Agency and Auctioneering module, contributing to the development and maintenance of professional standards within the industry. Beyond his professional achievements, Luke is an ordained Minister of Religion with a deep passion for counselling, mentorship, leadership development, and research. His broad experience across public service, professional regulation, education, and ministry enables him to bring strategic insight, integrity, and a people-centred approach to every board and leadership role he undertakes.
Chiredzi Rural District Council Councillor Aspect Mashingaidze joins the council at a time when local authorities continue modernising property databases and reviewing rating systems to improve revenue collection. Property valuations determine the fairness of municipal taxation while influencing compensation for public infrastructure projects and land administration.
Chirundu Local Board Councillor Revai Chaoma similarly brings the perspective of smaller local authorities navigating rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion and cross-border economic activity. Chirundu’s strategic position along one of Southern Africa’s busiest transport corridors presents unique property administration challenges, making informed valuation practices increasingly important for orderly development.
Completing the council is Brighton Nesvinga, who serves ex officio from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The inclusion of the Government Chief Valuation Office ensures continuity between Government policy and professional regulation, particularly on matters involving public infrastructure, compensation, state property management and national valuation frameworks. The Valuers Act specifically provides for such representation, recognising the close relationship between public administration and professional valuation practice.
Collectively, the new council reflects an increasingly multidisciplinary approach to property governance.
Its members represent private consultancy, pension fund management, local authorities and central government—institutions whose interests frequently converge around one central requirement: confidence in valuation outcomes.
That confidence has become especially significant as Zimbabwe pursues infrastructure investment, urban renewal programmes, industrial development and housing expansion under broader economic modernisation initiatives.
Banks depend on professional valuations before advancing mortgage finance. Pension funds require reliable assessments to safeguard contributors’ assets. Local authorities rely on valuations to generate equitable property taxes. Investors seek credible market information before committing capital. Government requires independent valuations for acquisitions, compensation and public projects.
In each case, the integrity of the valuation profession directly affects economic decision-making.
The new council therefore inherits responsibilities extending beyond professional regulation.
It faces growing expectations to strengthen ethical standards, embrace international valuation practices, encourage continuous professional development and ensure that registered valuers remain equipped to respond to increasingly complex property markets shaped by sustainability considerations, digital technologies and changing investment patterns.
The council’s work also assumes greater importance as Zimbabwe seeks to improve investor confidence.
Transparent valuation systems reduce uncertainty, support financial sector stability, and enhance the credibility of property-backed transactions. For international investors evaluating opportunities in mining, manufacturing, agriculture or commercial real estate, confidence in independent valuation processes often becomes a critical component of broader investment decisions.
For Juru and his colleagues, the next three years will therefore be measured not simply by administrative efficiency but by their ability to strengthen public trust in a profession that quietly underpins billions of dollars’ worth of economic activity.
Their appointments signal a deliberate effort to combine institutional memory with practical market experience.
It is a council shaped by professionals who understand that behind every property valuation lies a much larger story—one involving investment, public accountability, economic confidence, and national development.
As Zimbabwe’s property sector continues evolving alongside broader economic reforms, the country’s newest guardians of valuation standards will find themselves influencing decisions whose impact extends far beyond the balance sheets of property owners, reaching into the foundations of investment confidence itself.