Unacceptable Delays in Retirement Withdrawal & Preservation Instruction

I am writing to formally express my deep frustration with the handling of my retirement withdrawal and preservation instruction, initially submitted on 16 January. The delays and lack of accountability I have experienced are entirely unacceptable.

Sanlam took 47 days to review my submission, only to inform me that the form was incorrect—this, despite my nine follow-up calls, during which multiple consultants assured me that everything was in order and I simply needed to wait. It was only after repeated efforts on my part that I was finally informed of the issue.

I promptly submitted the corrected form on 10 March and followed up three times, only to again be misled—first, I was told everything was in order, and then, in a subsequent call, I was informed that the form was incorrect once more.

On 13 March, I submitted the form for the third time. Yet again, I had to call nine times just to get someone to look at it and initiate the process. Now, despite these excessive delays, I am being told that the matter is within SLA. From 16 January to today, 71 days have passed, and I have spent a total of 530 minutes on the phone with Sanlam Client Care, just trying to get basic assistance.

While I acknowledge that Client Care may not be directly responsible for the delays, they have continuously provided misleading information, causing significant frustration. Even after multiple requests, I have yet to receive a call from a senior leader, the fund administrator, or anyone from Sanlam Employee Benefits who can provide real accountability.

This situation is entirely unsatisfactory. I expect an immediate resolution and a senior-level response outlining why this process has been handled so poorly and what will be done to expedite it.