The South African Medical Association (Sama) has been accused of fraud and misappropriation of funds by former leaders of its now dissolved trade union. Sama, a nonprofit company that protects the interests of 16,300 South African doctors for a fee, decided to collapse its trade-union structures at a 2015 board meeting, saying that it had become ineffective and the move was meant to improve and optimise the representation of employed doctors in the private and public sector. However, the general secretary of the union at the time, Mahlane Phalane, has revealed in court documents that the association has continued to collect millions of rand deducted from doctors’ salaries as union subscription fees. Although it is still a registered union, the South African Medical Association Trade Union does not comply with requirements of the Labour Relations Act and the labour registrar has warned several times that it would be deregistered. Phahlane, with the backing of leaders and members of t...
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