Beaurocracy

I am attending to the administrtion of a deceased estate. The funds in the Standard Bank account are the only asset in the estate. I reported the Estate to the Master of the High Court in Johannesburg in order to obtain Letters of Authority. The Master requires a copy of the bank statement of the deceased as at the date of death. Standard Bank refuse to let the deceased's husband have a copy of such bank account, even though he is nominated as the Executor of the estate in the Will of the deceased. He is able to provide proof that he is the husband of the deceased and the nominated Executor, yet Standard Bank say they have to have a copy of the Letters of Executorship/Letters of Authority in order to give him a copy of the bank statement. The Master won't issue the Letters of Authority without the bank statement. Catch 22 situation. I believe Standard Bank is being completely unreasonable with this approach and we now have no way of moving forward with the administration of this deceased estate due.