FNB Zambia has dispelled the claim.
This memo shared on Facebook claiming that First National Bank (FNB) Zambia is closing operations is fake.
The letter dated May 16 2024 circulated on WhatsApp on May 17 2024 and claimed that First National Bank Zambia (FNB) will be closing due to the unstable economic climate in Zambia.
The purported letter reads, “Regrettably, we must announce the immediate closure of our bank, due to the continuing negative economic climate in the country.”
After a thorough review of the letter, despite it having the FNB letterhead, we established that when FNB Zambia issues a memo or notice to clients, they use a special infographic similar to the screenshot shared below (see previous examples). The graphics typically do not bear any signature.
A call to FNB Zambia through their customer care line, +260 211 366 800, further helped dispel the claim as they confirmed that FNB did not author it.
FNB Zambia also issued a press statement through the CEO Kapumpe Chola to restore public confidence in the lender. The financial institution further clarified that FNB Zambia was conducting maintenance works on two branches and had to close operations at those specific branches to allow the management of the maintenance works.
Further, Zambia Police has since followed up on the matter and apprehended the culprit.
This fact-check was produced by Bloggers of Zambia, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).
