National financial ombud scheme South Africa (NFO) is captured by the Banking Sector

On 13 May 2025, I had submitted a case of reckless lending to NFO. This was in relation to a 2023 Ford Ranger XLT that I had purchased via Ford Credit. Prior to contacting the NFO, I did communicate with Ford Credit ABSA bank, citing that my net pay was approx. 21,000 in 2023 and the cars instalment was 12,500 which was creating a financial distress on my side. I had tried twice to trade the car in in this period for a cheaper car, however Ford Credit kept requesting that i take the Ranger to the dealership for a trade in and each time would decline the application based on the assumption that i would they would make much more out of me if i kept the Ranger. After two failed attempts, I had contacted Ford Credit and had told them that is is a reckless lending agreement. Ford Credit had sent me a written response showing how they had calculated my affordability in 2023. I found that they had *****ulently inflated my monthly salary and also decreased my monthly expenses which allowed me to qualify for the ranger at R12,500pm. I had then compared my pay slips in this period and this did not correlate to the response from Ford, I then went on to compare the expenses that i declared when submitting my pay slips etc. at the time of the application and found that what i had declared was reduced by the bank. Having all of this concrete evidence, I had written to the NFO providing the response from Ford Credit / ABSA on their letter headed paper, my pay slips for that period, the expenses that i had declared when making the application. I even went further and calculated the affordability using my exact pay figures and expenses declared and had a monthly deficit of about R4000. This was submitted to the NFO and you say this is then a straight forward matter because i did all of the hard work. Emmanuel Kwakye-Agyekum Contact: *** had the response from the bank, my pay slips, my expense declaration and the correct calculations which i had sent through and all i was expecting was a straight forward ruling. Nevertheless this asshole had created a stall and then ruled in the banks favour. In my original complaint i had even made mention that the car that i had traded in with Ford Credit was a Ford Ecosport which was about 2 months in arrears and Ford had still approved the application to sell me the Ranger. This was ignored event though it strengthened my reasoning that the bank was doing all of these underhanded tactics to make money. On Mon, Oct 20, 2025, 3:20 PM, I had written to *** requesting an independent evaluation of the merits because i could not understand how a straight forward decision could be manipulated by the NFO and i didnt receive a response and this was communicated with Ford Credit also via email. Ford Credit on the other hand had started to use various attorneys, phoning and threatening me, saying that they was to take the car back and resell it even though the matter is still open with your agency. At approximately 1 September 2026 an attorney called me saying that my account and personal details were shared with a panel of 45 attorneys by Ford Credit and they will all be calling me to collect the vehicle. On the 5th September 2026 at approximately 12:00 (Sat) I was not at home, however the Ranger was parked at home. The Sheriff from Chatsworth, Fortune N Gumede accompanied by George Rautenbach from WJ Legal had went to my house. In my absence they had called my 13 year old minor son to the gate and told him that they were looking for me. My son had explained that I was not home. they then proceeded to threaten and intimidate my son until he went into the house and gave them the key to the Ranger. Then they took the car away. I got home and contacted the bank and they bank claims that they have the car in their possession so it was not ******. Yesterday 10 September 2026, I received a registered email from the Bank in which they say that they will be looking to sell this car for R190,000. Go on Google and look for the book value of a 2023 FORD RANGER 2.0D XLT HR A/T D/C P/U and you will find that this car sells over R**** yet these mother ****ers at the bank want to sell for R190,000 - and all of this could have been avoided if you employees at the NFO actually did your work in a fair, transparent and ethical manner.

Apart from all of the misconduct that i have outlined in a single complaint above, i am not sure if the NFO assigns these matters to skilled employees. Maybe you should start by publishing what qualifications each employee has before assignment of consumer complaints to them - because i guarantee you most your employees are ****ing in the wind in there.

Reality for me is after dealing with your office, i am not expecting much but i will share these concerns to make people aware of how banks behave and how the NFO shields these ******* activities that banks conduct on a daily basis because it is better to get a back hand and make a wrong ruling - at least then NFO employees can go on holidays and have a second income.