In the city of Kolwezi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, commercial banks are being singled out by the NGO Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights (IBGDH) for what it calls serious human rights violations. This organization highlights the dysfunctions of banks that hinder customers’ access to their own money, particularly as the end-of-year holidays approach.
An investigation conducted by IBGDH reveals that ATMs at banks located in Kolwezi frequently suffer from cash shortages, preventing workers, who often receive their salaries through these establishments, from receiving their remuneration on time. Donat Kambola, coordinator of the NGO, denounces this unacceptable situation, which constitutes a flagrant violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.
Long queues at ATMs, lack of cash availability at ATMs and poor customer service are all points raised by Donat Kambola, highlighting the harm suffered by workers forced to waste precious time to access their money. This situation, he denounces, should not be tolerated by banks which, he recalls, are paid to provide quality services to their customers.
Thus, the IBGDH calls for an urgent improvement in the services offered by commercial banks in Kolwezi, inviting them to humanize their practices and guarantee smooth and rapid access to customer funds, particularly during salary payment periods. This approach aims to ensure respect for workers’ rights and strengthen citizens’ trust in financial institutions.
In short, this alert launched by the IBGDH highlights the challenges faced by users of commercial banks in Kolwezi, stressing the need for these establishments to review their procedures and place respect for human rights at the heart of their concerns. Banks have the opportunity here to demonstrate their commitment to an exemplary customer relationship, based on transparency, efficiency and respect for the fundamental rights of each individual.