Doctors Union Chief Fired From Civil Service

The president of the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ), Brian Sampa, has been fired from the civil service for taking part in a nationwide go-slow over unpaid salaries. 

His dismissal comes two weeks after the RDAZ went on strike to demand, among other things, the recruitment of 500 additional doctors and the payment of salary arrears owed by the government to more than 300 physicians.

The association is also demanding the creation of positions for senior doctors, who have continued to receive the same salaries as junior doctors. 

Although the RDAZ has called off their strike, Dr Sampa has been dismissed from the civil service for being absent from work for more than ten consecutive days, according to a dismissal letter shared with the media. 

Dr Sampa has criticised the decision as political, saying “this is what happens when you speak out”. 

He added: “This victimisation won’t stop me from fighting for the welfare of doctors. I am still president of the association.” 

Dr Sampa didn’t show up to work over fears that he would be arrested, after being personally threatened by police Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja. Police last week started rounding up members of the RDAZ, including its secretary general Mukula Chikonde, for attending a zoom meeting to discuss the go-slow. 

Police claimed the doctors were in violation of the recently enacted Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, which allows officers to arrest Zambians for subversive comments made online. 

Prominent civil society groups have spoken out against the police’s behaviour, including the Chapter One Foundation, ActionAid Zambia and Transparency International Zambia. In an open letter to Inspector General Kanganja they called his behaviour “an abrogation of the citizen rights of expression and association”.