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Biography

When I am recovered at home, I heard that ABSA promoted me to Head Office (no salary increase) and that I am nominated for a regional top achiever certificate.

On the second day after I started with my new duties at ABSA head Office, Vostro branch. (International Treasury) and while still suffering from meningitis, I noticed that the reconciliation system is total too complicated and a big mess.

However, the manager was one of that few great persons what are always willing to listen and obtain input before making decisions and during the following few weeks I developed a complete new reconciliation system and worked overtime with the manager, responsible department head and the ABSA Chief Manager: Operations to transfer the data to the new system.

This system that was developed by myself worked perfect and up to the date I leaved ABSA there was not even once cent outstanding. In contradiction to his, several top-level chief managers near retirement worked several weeks as a group together to resolve problems from the old system but later have to write off about R700 000 something.

In one stage I took five weeks sick leave for an operation to remove a brain tumor. However, despite this serious operation, the ABSA Chief Manager Operations Treasury phoned my father on the same day I am discarded from hospital and asked that I come to work to resolve a problem. Despite the fact that I was in such condition that I couldn’t drive and with a huge bandage around my head, my branch manager collected me the next day at home.

Well. It took me only an hour or two to fix the problem and on his question what was wrong I only answered that there is no problem with the system. The people simple don’t know what they are doing and ignored some of my previous instructions. 

Despite things like these my salary still stay very low while my debt just rise and rise to cover basic expenses etc. When later learned that the person above me are already promoted several months ago to higher level, while my manager promised that I will be promoted in his place as soon they can promote him to make room for me, I wrote letter to the CCMA (or I think its them) but when they reply via fax my manager find out about that.

Within 30 minutes I was in a meeting with my Manager, ABSA Chief Manager: Operations and ABSA Chief Manager: Personnel. After explained the situation and pointed out to the Chief Manager that those system I changed one year ago (He was involved with the transfer to my new system) still works 100% and that our branch had send every month a nil outstanding report to him, while that person responsible for the mess with the previous system are promoted, he lashed out against the Chief Personnel Manager but unfortunately I couldn’t understand what he said. 

End of the ABSA story is that I got promotion, but at that stage the financial pressure caused too much strain in my marriage and my wife sued me for divorce shortly thereafter. Once learned this I gave 24 hrs notices at ABSA. 

My manager and the ABSA Chief Manager Operations refused to accept it but my simple reply was that I held ABSA responsible and that, in such circumstances, I don’t think it would be very wise if they tried to made me stay.


I still had a lot to learn. Don’t build your life only around one relationship. If that went sour, your whole life will fall apart.

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