October 31 - Leonard Chuene, the President of Athletics South Africa (ASA), has been ordered to apologise by a group of senior African National Congress (ANC) officials, including Nelson Mandela's former wife, after he admitted lying about the Caster Semenya gender row.

 

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (pictured with Semenya) and ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu, members of the task-force formed to determine the truth about the testing, demanded that Chuene apologise to Semenya, to the country and to President Jacob Zuma for lying.

 

The ANC said it will hand its findings regarding the alleged mishandling of Semenya's gender verification by the ASA and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile.

 

Semenya's gender came under scrutiny shortly before she won the 800 metres title at the World Championships, in Berlin, in August.

 

It later emerged that Chuene and the ASA knew that gender testing had been conducted in South Africa before Semenya's win, but they nevertheless entered her in the competition.

 

Chuene denied this publicly on several occasions, then later admitted that he had lied.

 

The ASA Board took no action against him.

 

The ANC have condemned Chuene and the ASA, saying they "intentionally deceived South Africans, the President, and Caster and her family".

 

Madikizela-Mandela said: "They lied and they justified their lies, and instead of protecting Caster they have deepened the wound."

 

Mthembu said: "They did not disclose their role in the process and in sanctioning the gender verification tests conducted in South Africa."

 

Chuene has refused to comment.

 

Mthembu said that the gender tests before and during the World Championships should be invalidated.


He claimed that the IAAF gender verification policy was that there must be a complaint or a challenge by an athlete before an investigation.

 

Mthembu said there was no evidence that an athlete had complained about Semenya.

He said: "The [test] results ... have been compromised ... they cannot be used for decision-making."

 

 

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