Chuene lied to South Africa - and must now explain himself to Parliament
Last Friday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) made an urgent request to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on sport and recreation for Athletics South Africa (ASA) to appear before Parliament, to account for its role in the scandalous ill-treatment of our athletics star Caster Semenya. We are grateful that the committee has agreed to call ASA to appear before it, and we will use this opportunity to ask tough questions of ASA, and in particular their boss Leonard Chuene.
Morning newspaper reports suggest that Mr. Chuene told a slew of lies to the South African people about Caster Semeya's gender tests, and we will demand answers from Mr. Chuene for his role in this debacle.
The Mail & Guardian has provided what appears to be incontrovertible documented evidence that Mr. Chuene was fully aware that Caster Semeya had been gender tested in South Africa before the World Championships in Berlin - and that, at the expense of Semeya's dignity and privacy, he ignored the results, presumably in an effort to bring home a gold medal for ASA's mantelpiece.
Mr. Chuene needs to explain to the South African public why Caster Semenya was ‘duped' into undergoing the gender tests. He needs to explain why, when the facts were presented to him, he chose to ignore them. And he needs to explain why, instead of informing Caster Semenya of the situation, and allowing her to be part of the decision making process, he kept the facts to himself.
If Mr. Chuene and the other ASA officials cannot provide a sufficient account of these matters, the DA will call on SASCOC to place those ASA officials on suspension, pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
Athletics South Africa is now scheduled to appear before Parliament on Tuesday 22nd September. (The parliamentary press gallery is to be informed that this committee has been provisionally scheduled to take place at 10h00 in Room B475, though this may be subject to change, and will be finalised in Monday's committees schedule).
Statement issued by Donald Lee, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of sport and recreation, September 18 2009
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