Sanlam.co.za

Sanlam Trust, a wholly owned and managed subsidiary company of Sanlam Limited, was appointed to administer my late father's estate. Over 7 years have passed since his passing, and we, as the nominated beneficiaries, found it necessary to involve the CEOs of both Sanlam Trust and Sanlam Limited, as well as the Deputy Justice Minister, The Master, The Chief Master, and the Financial Institute of South Africa. We've even had to maintain external counsel at our own expense. All these efforts were triggered by our concerns about what we perceive to be discrepancies in the estate's management, which have resulted, in our view, in financial disadvantage to the estate and ourselves as its beneficiaries, due to actions we believe may not fully align with the executor's fiduciary responsibilities.

One notable incident involved a liability waiver that I signed in my time of grief and mourning in favour of Sanlam Trust. Years later, after careful review, it was acknowledged by Sanlam Trust that this document was not legally valid, despite previous suggestions to the contrary by a senior member of the company. We're still working through a range of other issues and, despite proposing a resolution that is, in fact, more favourable to Sanlam than ourselves, we have yet to receive an acknowledgment or response.

Despite numerous requests, some necessary documents and explanations about certain expenses borne by the estate, which we question the necessity of, have yet to be provided to us. The Administration of Estates Act stipulates that an executor and their agents are required to always act in the best interest of the estate and its beneficiaries. However, the financial impact on the estate due to actions taken during the executorship suggests this principle may not have always been strictly adhered to.

We find ourselves wishing our father hadn't entrusted his estate to Sanlam Trust. We feel that instead of the legacy he intended to leave us, we have been saddled with an ongoing challenge that overshadows our memory of him. This difficult experience, coupled with the need to continue seeking clarity, has prolonged our grieving process, and denied us the closure we need, which is an ongoing source of distress.

Even when this ordeal finally concludes, we suspect we'll still have some distance to go before we can fully reconcile our father's loss, as our memory of his passing has been undeniably tarnished by our prolonged dealings with Sanlam Trust, and by association the entire Sanlam Group. Their apparent unwillingness to adequately address and rectify the situation, a matter which they had the sole legal authority and responsibility to manage, has left an indelible impression on us.