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The government must "extract the truth" on the Caster Semenya
matter from Athletics South Africa, the ANC said on Thursday.
"We also encourage our Minister [Sports Minister, Makhenkhesi
Stofile] to institute a mechanism of extracting the truth from ASA
regarding their role in the Caster debacle. Both in South Africa
and in Berlin," said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
"South Africa deserves nothing else but the truth, Mthembu told
a media briefing on the findings of a task team probing the matter.
"... [The government may] use any legal instruments to extract
the truth from ASA," he said.
Last month, ASA president Leonard Chuene admitted lying to the
South African public about not having any knowledge of gender tests
conducted on Semenya in Pretoria in August.
He said that ASA's deception on the matter was intended to
protect Semenya's confidentiality.
"I now realise that it was an error of judgement and I would
like to apologise unconditionally," he said.
However, briefing the National Assembly's sport and recreation
committee on October 20, he denied lying about not having any
knowledge of gender tests.
"We learnt from the past that we were called liars even if we
have put everything on paper. But they said 'you lied'. I don't
understand."
Mthembu said it was difficult to trust anything emerging from
the ASA.
Task team member Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said: "I don't think
any of us here would appreciate being lied to... when a respectable
body lies through their teeth... and then they justify their lies
saying they were trying to protect Caster." This made it
untrustworthy.
Mthembu said the task team would hand over the matter to the
sports ministry for further investigation.
"We think they are better placed as government... to pursue the
matter," he said.
The party would hand over the "volumes" of information it had
gathered in its probe, which included interviews with the ASA,
Semenya herself and other professionals.
"Throughout these consultations, the ANC's position about
Athletics South Africa has not changed, in fact we are more
convinced that ASA and their doctor have a case to answer.
"In this instance, in relation to the Caster issue, they
performed dismally."
When asked whether the ASA board should be dissolved, Mthembu
responded: "You can't be targeting an individual on the sins of the
entire board."
At an ASA special general meeting last month, its leadership was
given a unanimous vote of confidence.
Mthembu expressed hope that the board would concede it had
"messed up" and take the appropriate action.
"When the board came out with nothing... they disappointed us.
They came out of that meeting as if nothing had happened... as if
they had not brought disrepute... through lying to the president of
the country... to all of us.
"They might decide on their own to do something. They must take
the President [Jacob Zuma] into their confidence... they must take
the nation into their confidence," he said.
Madikizela-Mandela said Semenya seemed to be in a position to
"deal with the situation", referring to the 18-year-old's emotional
state.
"When we met her... she was extremely relaxed and very happy and
seems to have found her own way of dealing with this quagmire," she
said.
Mthembu revealed that the Semenya family was also considering
taking legal action.
"We will continue to support her even if they [the Semenya
family], which is very probable, take on those who violated their
kid... and if they so decide we will be there.
"... To be 18 and be subjected to such and still smile... she
[Semenya] is an amazing character," Mthembu said.
Semenya won the 800 metres in a time of 1:55.45 in Berlin on
August 19.
However, the significant improvement in her time, her masculine
physique and deep voice, brought her gender into question.
In September, the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) ordered gender tests on Semenya.
Australian media reports quoting leaked documents later
suggested that it had been found that the athlete had no ovaries or
uterus, but internal testes which produced testosterone.
The IAAF said it was reviewing the results and would decide next
month whether Semenya could continue competing in women's events.
IAAF president Lamine Diack recently cancelled a meeting with
Sport Minister Makhenkhesi Stofile to find a resolution to the
matter, Mthembu said this meeting had been rescheduled.
The ANC has called on the IAAF to declare null and void the
gender verification results conducted both in South Africa and in
Berlin.
matter from Athletics South Africa, the ANC said on Thursday.
"We also encourage our Minister [Sports Minister, Makhenkhesi
Stofile] to institute a mechanism of extracting the truth from ASA
regarding their role in the Caster debacle. Both in South Africa
and in Berlin," said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
"South Africa deserves nothing else but the truth, Mthembu told
a media briefing on the findings of a task team probing the matter.
"... [The government may] use any legal instruments to extract
the truth from ASA," he said.
Last month, ASA president Leonard Chuene admitted lying to the
South African public about not having any knowledge of gender tests
conducted on Semenya in Pretoria in August.
He said that ASA's deception on the matter was intended to
protect Semenya's confidentiality.
"I now realise that it was an error of judgement and I would
like to apologise unconditionally," he said.
However, briefing the National Assembly's sport and recreation
committee on October 20, he denied lying about not having any
knowledge of gender tests.
"We learnt from the past that we were called liars even if we
have put everything on paper. But they said 'you lied'. I don't
understand."
Mthembu said it was difficult to trust anything emerging from
the ASA.
Task team member Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said: "I don't think
any of us here would appreciate being lied to... when a respectable
body lies through their teeth... and then they justify their lies
saying they were trying to protect Caster." This made it
untrustworthy.
Mthembu said the task team would hand over the matter to the
sports ministry for further investigation.
"We think they are better placed as government... to pursue the
matter," he said.
The party would hand over the "volumes" of information it had
gathered in its probe, which included interviews with the ASA,
Semenya herself and other professionals.
"Throughout these consultations, the ANC's position about
Athletics South Africa has not changed, in fact we are more
convinced that ASA and their doctor have a case to answer.
"In this instance, in relation to the Caster issue, they
performed dismally."
When asked whether the ASA board should be dissolved, Mthembu
responded: "You can't be targeting an individual on the sins of the
entire board."
At an ASA special general meeting last month, its leadership was
given a unanimous vote of confidence.
Mthembu expressed hope that the board would concede it had
"messed up" and take the appropriate action.
"When the board came out with nothing... they disappointed us.
They came out of that meeting as if nothing had happened... as if
they had not brought disrepute... through lying to the president of
the country... to all of us.
"They might decide on their own to do something. They must take
the President [Jacob Zuma] into their confidence... they must take
the nation into their confidence," he said.
Madikizela-Mandela said Semenya seemed to be in a position to
"deal with the situation", referring to the 18-year-old's emotional
state.
"When we met her... she was extremely relaxed and very happy and
seems to have found her own way of dealing with this quagmire," she
said.
Mthembu revealed that the Semenya family was also considering
taking legal action.
"We will continue to support her even if they [the Semenya
family], which is very probable, take on those who violated their
kid... and if they so decide we will be there.
"... To be 18 and be subjected to such and still smile... she
[Semenya] is an amazing character," Mthembu said.
Semenya won the 800 metres in a time of 1:55.45 in Berlin on
August 19.
However, the significant improvement in her time, her masculine
physique and deep voice, brought her gender into question.
In September, the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) ordered gender tests on Semenya.
Australian media reports quoting leaked documents later
suggested that it had been found that the athlete had no ovaries or
uterus, but internal testes which produced testosterone.
The IAAF said it was reviewing the results and would decide next
month whether Semenya could continue competing in women's events.
IAAF president Lamine Diack recently cancelled a meeting with
Sport Minister Makhenkhesi Stofile to find a resolution to the
matter, Mthembu said this meeting had been rescheduled.
The ANC has called on the IAAF to declare null and void the
gender verification results conducted both in South Africa and in
Berlin.