December 8 - Athletics South Africa (ASA) is stable after its board was suspended and replaced with an interim leadership body in the fall-out from the Caster Semenya (pictured) scandal, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) claimed today.


Ray Mali, the Board member of the Sascoc who has taken temporary control of the ASA, said: "It is safe to say that we stabilised things at ASA.

"The new interim board is working harder."


The athletics body was thrown into turmoil over its handling of the gender questions around Semenya after she won the gold medal in the 800 metres at the World Championships in Berlin in August.


The entire Board of ASA was suspended and an interim board put in place.

ASA President Leonard Chuene and his Board face disciplinary action for his handling of the debacle.


Mali again expressed concern over the financial situation at ASA.


He said: "But I am on top of that situation to make sure people are paid."


Mali said the disciplinary hearing against Chuene and the board would start early in the New Year and would conclude within six months.


Sascoc president Gideon Sam described his first year in office as a "rollercoaster".


He said: "I can safely say  it's been dramatic.

"But yes we kept our heads above water."


He hoped to boost Sascoc's relationship with Parliament's Portfolio Committee on sport to improve the functioning of the body.


He said: "Our experience so far is that we are constantly being summoned."


Sam wants the committee and the sport body to pre-arrange its meetings at the start of the year.


He said he was not "contesting the role of the oversight committee", but wanted to work in a more organised fashion.


Sam and Committee chairman Butana Komphela had clashed after the latter, in a newspaper report, demanded that Sam and other Sascoc leaders serving on the National Lottery Distribution Agency (NLDA) be removed because of conflict of interest.


Sam said Sascoc had expected the position adopted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Semenya.


He said the Semenya issue was being handled by the IAAF as a matter solely between it and the athlete.


This was to ensure no further media leaks about the athlete's condition, Sam claimed.


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November 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament