DURBAN - FIRST National Bank recently issued a notice of termination of the accounts of whistle-blower Siphokazi Ndudane, the former deputy director-general at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
Ndudane has accused FNB of colluding with politicians to target and close her accounts after she exposed corruption within the department.
In a brief letter to Ndudane, the bank indicated that “after careful consideration it had elected to exercise its contractual right to terminate its banking relationship with Ndudane due to the associated reputational and business risks”.
The bank declined to provide precise details on its decision to close the accounts, stating that it was within its rights to terminate anyone’s account.
“Generally, when the bank exercises its right to terminate its banking services, the affected customer is given reasonable notice of termination,” said FNB media liaison officer Lwazi Stuurman.
Ndudane was disappointed at the closure of her business account which she opened six months ago. She had already done consultancy work for a company based in the UK using that account. “My sin was to expose powerful politicians and their friends who are business people involved in the stealing and smuggling of abalone to Asian countries,” said Ndudane.
She has accused the bank of working with politicians to limit her business opportunities.
She said she was not surprised that her accounts were being targeted because the bank had previously flagged her as an asylum seeker in her own country of birth, and it had taken them two months to correct the error, causing her serious damage in her relationship with people seeking to do business with her.
She recalled how her troubles began after she had refused to participate in alleged corruption within DAFF.
“I stopped an illegal tender worth R255million fraudulently awarded to a business partner of the then DAFF director-general Mike Mlengana, who was suspended in 2017 by then minister Senzeni Zokwana for this, and other matters relating to embezzlement of R120m from the Drought Relief Fund, Ndudane said.
Daily News