Incompetency of FNB Income Verifications, taking months to verify and release private and business funds

Dear readers, I had an experience with FNB Income Verifications where my account with over R700 000 was frozen for 6 month either because a lack of knowledge of FNB Income Verification, lack of customer care or just incompetency... or all of the above:

My communication, multiple emails and calls, dated from 23 May 2025 and only on 16 October 2025 my funds were released and my transactions were verified, 6 months later. So my question to the public is; is it okay for families to have to go without means because a bank's income verification is not competent to resolve electronic and crypto currency transaction verifications, Crypto Assets are legally recognised as a "Financial Product"; The FSCA Declaration on 19 October 2022 under the Financial Intermediary Services ACT (FIAS Act), 2002 officially declared that: "A crypto asset means a digital representation of value that is not issued by a central bank, but is capable of being traded, transferred or stored electronically for payment, investment, or utility purposes." (Source FSCA General Notice 1350 of 2022). Meaning Crypto is now a recognised financial product in South Africa.This means business offering crypto services (like VALR my crypto account provider, is a registered and regulated financial services provider under South African law and registered with the South African Services Conduct Authority (FCSA), MEANING FNB have NO LEGAL RIGHT to withold funds. . There were stages where I would reach out and not hear back for weeks from FNB Income Verifications, just to get another standard email requesting documents already sent. I have been with the bank manager of FNB Tygervalley, Elisma du Plessis, almost every day for 3 weeks not trying to sort this out on calls with FNB's Income Verification department; The communication with them was was deeply concerning and created the impression that the team lacked a clear understanding of their own processes. My personal account's hold was lifted after 6 months. Why are we lagging behind the rest of the world, why aren't income verification companies in South Africa clued up. I have recorded the calls Elisma made that I will be making available to the media to understand the depth of my concern. At this stage my company, TBBi International Pty(Ltd) are facing the same challenges with FNB Income Verification; Our corporate account which holds over R10million rand has been frozen for over a month, even after supplying all the required documents, leaving us incapable of paying salaries, handing in our SARS tax return which we always do diligently. Families having to suffer on account of a flawed system. In the case of our company there were no electronic/crypto payments involved, leading me to believe that it's a flawed systems issue and that there is just no customer care at FNB Our own company also have an international company who does our KYC (know your customer) and AML (Anti Money Laundering) in place, so we know that it's standards for banks to request documentation since they fall under the South African Reserve bank's regulations, but this is a swift process that should be handled with concise information to the client and should be concluded within 72 business hours, not months. Which brings me to the next question; why are banks withholding not only private but larger companies like our funds ********ly? How many people must have left the country because of this system, now generating funds into other countries that could have been app**** to enhance our own countries infrastructure. I have copied this letter to the editor of Beeld newspaper ***, Tygerberg newspaper Cicelia Hume *** as well as the Editor-in-Chief Adriaan Basson at Media24 *** with a copy of this letter on HelloPeter, FNB clients with private and corporate accounts can reach of to FNB Income Verification at Income Verification <***> , FNB Customer Care at FNB Care <***> and at *** and express their concerns about their future banking with FNB. Media editors can contact me at *** or on my company email at *** to set up interviews or appointments. Kind regards,Deon *** Company contact information:CEO TBB International Pty(Ltd) 2024/798117/***