Formal Complaint Regarding Unprofessional Service and Delays in Opening an NPO Bank Account

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the unprofessional service and excessive delays we have experienced with the process of opening a bank account for our Non-Profit Organisation. What should have been a straightforward process taking a few days has now stretched to almost three months, causing significant harm to our NPO.

We were assigned to Marcia Sithole to assist with this process. Unfortunately, the lack of communication and repeated setbacks from their side have been the primary cause of these delays.

Our experience has been as follows:

Initial delay and false information: The process was initially stalled because of what we were told were "red flags" with one of our directors. After weeks of delay, this turned out to be an internal error on the bank's part.

Lack of communication: Following this, there was a period of silence. We had to escalate the issue through the customer complaints department just to get a response from Mr. Sithole, and even then, communication was slow and infrequent.

New, late-stage issue: After we were finally told the account was set up, a new issue arose. We were informed there was a problem with our constitution because it states we do "humanitarian work." This is the same constitution that the bank had for over a month to scrutinize.

Complete communication breakdown: For the past few weeks, Mr. Sithole has not responded to our emails or WhatsApp messages. When we called today (September 5, 2025), he said, "I will call you back," but never did.

These constant delays and the complete failure to communicate have cost our NPO valuable opportunities. We came to ABSA expecting a high level of service but have been met with an unacceptable degree of incompetence and disregard. The service we have received is the worst I have ever encountered from a financial institution.

We urgently require a resolution to this matter. Please investigate this complaint and ensure our NPO account is opened immediately. I expect to be contacted by a senior representative who can provide a clear and definitive timeline for the completion of this process.