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Subject of gender speculation Caster Semenya celebrates winning the women's 800 metres final in Berlin - Source: Reuters -
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South Africa reacted angrily to a report that tests on its world
champion runner Caster Semenya had found she was a hermaphrodite,
threatening a third world war over the affair.
Athletics' governing body declined to confirm the report in
Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper, which said the 18-year-old
runner had both male and female sexual characteristics.
The IAAF said medical experts were examining the results of gender
tests on Semenya, who won the women's 800 metres at last month's
World Championships in Berlin.
No decision would be taken until late November.
"I think it would be the third world war. We will go to the highest
levels in contesting such a decision. I think it would be totally
unfair and totally unjust," said Sports Minister Makhenkesi
Stofile.
South African President Jacob Zuma decried the invasion of
Semenya's privacy and what he called the violation of her rights,
although neither he nor Stofile denied the report.
"I don't know why we should not respect the privilege between the
doctor and the patient. Why, when the tests have been done, why was
it published?" Zuma said.
The Telegraph report said tests had found Semenya had no womb or
ovaries, but that she had internal testes, the male sexual organs
which produce testosterone, and her levels of the hormone were
three times that of a 'normal' female.
It said the IAAF was ready to disqualify Semenya from future events
and advise her to have immediate surgery because her condition
carries grave health risks. They have also not ruled out stripping
Semenya of her 800m world championships gold medal.
Shock and disgust
Semenya, who was due to compete in a cross country race in Pretoria
on Saturday, in her first competition since claiming the world
title, withdrew from the event. Semenya's coach Michael Seme said
that she was not feeling well.
Stofile told a news conference his ministry had noted with shock
and disgust media reports on the test results, which the South
African government had not yet received.
"The issue here is that this girl has undesirable levels of
testosterone - what does it matter? That is neither here not there.
She does not have a womb - so what?," he said.
Nick Davies, spokesman for the International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF), said media reports on the gender test
results should not be considered as official statements by the
sports body.
"There is a (IAAF) Council on 21 November and this will be the
opportunity to conclusively finalise a decision," he said.
Some South Africans have accused the IAAF of racism for ordering
the gender tests on Semenya, saying her broad shoulders and
imposing musculature are common in women's athletics.
The controversy may have touched a raw nerve in a country where
race is still a highly sensitive issue after decades of apartheid,
which ended in 1994.
The militant Youth League of South Africa's ruling African National
Congress (ANC) said in a statement: "Even if a test is done, the
ANC YL will never accept the categorisation of Caster Semenya as a
hermaphrodite, because in South Africa and the entire world of
sanity, such does not exist."
