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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 09 2010 23:02 | LAST UPDATED Feb 09 2010 23:02 |
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In a bombshell report the doctor of the South African athletics team, Harold Adams, has accused Athletics South Africa (ASA) boss Leonard Chuene of deliberately politicising and sowing confusion in the Caster Semenya gender test saga. Adams’s confidential report, leaked to the Mail & Guardian, suggests that Chuene consulted top-level politicians before deciding, against Adams’s advice, to field Semenya in the World Athletics Championship in Berlin in August. The M&G understands that one of these politicians was the controversial ANC head of Parliament’s sports committee, Butana Komphela. In the report Adams asks: “Did Chuene consult with the ‘high-powered politicians’ to merely get an endorsement and political backing for his pre-conceived plan of getting a medal at all costs?” He says Chuene told a medical team of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that “withdrawing Semenya was not acceptable to top-level South African politicians who are also in government and that if the IAAF insisted on Semenya’s withdrawal they would face the wrath of the South African government, because it would not hesitate to take the IAAF to the highest court in the land”. Adams accuses Chuene of “an orgy of lies” and “selfish interest to cover his back at the expense of Semenya’s welfare”. He describes his decision to let Semenya race in Berlin as “reckless, short-sighted and grossly irresponsible”. Chuene did not reply to the M&G’s questions this week and Komphela was unavailable. In Parliament this week Chuene blamed the IAAF and the media for Semenya’s woes, saying he had only acted to protect the athlete. Adams’s report indicates that Chuene lied to Parliament by saying that the IAAF had suggested Semenya should fake an injury and withdraw from the race, which he considered “unethical”.  CONTINUES BELOW The report was sent to the ANC and South Africa’s Olympic governing body, Sascoc. It has come to light in the week that IAAF president Lamine Diack was due to have visited South Africa to discuss Semenya’s gender test with her and the government. But Diack announced on Thursday that he had cancelled the trip. Komphela has declared Diack unwelcome in the country. Said a senior athletics official: “The report should raise questions about why Komphela has kept quiet all this time. Chuene told him he was going to do something bad and would need the support of politicians when he gets back home. “After Komphela realised that Chuene was in trouble, he spoke to [ANC Youth League leader] Julius Malema to try to squash this whole thing.” The report reveals that when Adams recommended that Semenya be withdrawn from the championships, Chuene initially agreed. Adam says: “The reason for my advice was that the tests might prove too traumatic for Semenya to handle, especially without the necessary support of family and friends around her. “The other reason was that being tested at the World Championships would not give her enough time to consult extensively and perhaps arrive at a decision to refuse the testing, if she felt it would infringe on her privacy and personal rights.” Adams alleges that Chuene changed his mind the next day after consulting ASA deputy president Kakata Maponyane and politicians back home. The report reads: “The following day Chuene informed me that he had changed his mind about Semenya’s withdrawal. He said if we withdrew Semenya, what explanation would we give the politicians back home? “Chuene then requested me to set up a meeting with the IAAF’s medical team. I asked him why he did not discuss the matter with the president of the IAAF and agree with him on how to take the process forward, because this was such a delicate matter. “Chuene said talking to the president of the IAAF would be his last option. He first wanted to politicise the whole thing and to cause confusion within the IAAF medical team.” Chuene has defended his decision to field the 800m champion in Berlin by saying that “no reasons were given to him on why he should withdraw Semenya from the championships”. Adams asks: “The question is: why did Chuene suddenly doubt my credibility when I have such credentials behind my name? Did Chuene consult with the ‘high-powered politicians’ to merely get an endorsement and political backing for his preconceived plan of getting a medal at all costs?” At Chuene’s request, Adams arranged the meeting with the IAAF’s medical team, where he said Semenya’s withdrawal would be unacceptable to top-level politicians and the South African government. “He told me to keep quiet in that meeting and that he and Maponyane would defend the country’s position ...” On Tuesday Chuene told Parliament’s sports committee that the IAAF medical team gave him two options during their meeting: the first, that Semenya should fake an injury and withdraw from the race, which Chuene rejected as “unethical”, and the second that “she run and finish and the matter can be addressed after the race. Chuene was not comfortable with this option.” But Adams says that the IAAF team made it clear “that Semenya could compete at the World Championships, on condition that she accepted that she would be subjected to the IAAF’s gender verification tests in Berlin and that, if any unfair advantage was detected on the part of her, she would be stripped of any medal she might have won at the championships; or that Semenya is withdrawn from the world championships. “If [the latter] was to be the option exercised, the IAAF was comfortable with ASA handling the matter of the gender verification tests back in South Africa and a report on the said tests sent to the IAAF.” The Democratic Alliance’s Donald Lee said Chuene should be “ashamed of the role he has played in this saga. It is disgraceful that he has never been admonished, much less dismissed, for his role in violating the dignity of Caster Semenya. He needs to be held accountable and needs to step down as the head of ASA.” Last month the M&G exposed Chuene’s trail of lies, including his claim that no gender tests had been conducted on Semenya in South Africa. The report says that Chuene asked Adams to be present at his press conferences to confirm this claim to put the matter to rest “once and for all”. Adams turned down both requests because he could not endorse a lie. “I sincerely believe that Chuene’s decision to refuse that Semenya be withdrawn was ... reckless, short-sighted and grossly irresponsible. Chuene’s orgy of lies had absolutely nothing to do with Semenya but all had to do with Chuene’s selfish interest to cover his back at the expense of Semenya’s welfare,” Adams says. Youth league president Malema continues to give public support to Chuene, and the ANC’s Caster Semenya task team also attacked the IAAF this week, saying the gender tests “were not conducted in keeping with their own stated gender verification policies and rules”. It demanded that the IAAF make a public apology. Sources said Adams was reluctant to present his report to the task team on Tuesday because the ANC had already taken a position. “The whole thing was well planned; everyone is now blaming the IAAF and this was part of the plan,” the senior official said. The Adams report is no longer available online TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
Comments
So, when will black Africans Chuene and Khompela bring Adams's race into their rebuttal?
Jon Low on October 23, 2009, 9:04 am
This article sums up the debacle quite neatly. It also explains why Khompela is vehemently demanding an apology from the IAAF - so that they can vindicate themselves.
The IAAF must stand their ground and refuse to apologize for the total mess that the South Africans created for themselves.
Les Wil on October 23, 2009, 9:14 am
Hey Kobus, PSA and Boy2 - now what ? Are you going to argue that the Dr is white and therefore racist ? Chuene should be fired, and all of those retards that blamed whites for the problem should go back into the hole the climbed out of. This is just annoying.
Pasta Bag on October 23, 2009, 9:21 am
Its because the white people are angry that Zola Bud’s record is broken.
Chuene should face our police force firing squad... ratatatata ANC – Where less is best – Less credible, less transparent, less truth.
moloko moloko on October 23, 2009, 11:24 am
As more and more revelations are made regarding the Caster Semenya saga and Chuene’s role in it, there is a question I really like to ask: For how long, and why, do we have to keep kissing Chuene’s ass for?
Percy Ngonyama on October 23, 2009, 11:36 am
IAAF's suggesting that Caster should pretend to have an injury so she could withdraw from the race would have been a lie, but under the circumstances it would have protected her from the embarrassing truth. But what has always concerned me is the CHEATING aspect of the issue: "....his pre-conceived plan of getting a medal at all costs" ASA CHEATED! I feel that ASA and SA athletes connected with ASA should be banned until ASA apologizes to IAAF. And ASA needs to apologize to whites for making this a race issue.
Neville Paynter on October 23, 2009, 11:45 am
Oh god -- things just get worse and worse don't they. I can barely open a newspaper these days without cringing at the levels of stupidity, dishonesty, selfishness, greed, corruption and incompetence of politicians and public servants. We are becoming a laughing stock of the entire world.
Ella Hume on October 23, 2009, 11:52 am
This issue is not as clear cut as the doctor implies. With his results, why didn't the IAAF bar Semenya from running if the case was as clear cut as he makes it sound? They instead wanted Chuene to take all the responsibilities based on evidence that they themselves (and their specialist doctors) didn't deem sufficient to take direct action. Why is the IAAF now taking so long to make a determination on the tests they conducted? Again, because it is not a clear cut case. I have heard that they now need to redefine characteristics that makes a person qualify for participation in women sports, yet morons expected Chuenen to act in Berlin. Chuenen was 100% correct in his approach to this.
Mpho R on October 23, 2009, 12:07 pm
Two questions I have:
Did Caster know the results of her tests before she ran? Or was she kept in the dark? As top ANC politicians knew what was happening before the race: when Julius and Winnie met Caster and the other athletes at the airport and used the platform to lambaste whites, were they amongst those who knew all along the conspiracy along with their comrades?
Neville Paynter on October 23, 2009, 12:13 pm
Ella has said it all. Its embarrassing to say your from SA when you are in Europe.
Comments like: "How can idiots like this have these jobs" The trouble is that many of these guys are not stupid; they are simply dishonest, selfish and incompetent. They care only about themselves and it's time for them to go; not deployed, fired.
Joe Irwin on October 23, 2009, 1:06 pm
ANC hijacked Semenya to stir the racist debate, thus diverting attention away because of bad service delivery. What votes they might have lost through their lies, they will gain through playing the race card etc
white black on October 23, 2009, 1:07 pm
Chuene, Komphela and JM must go to a cemetary and die.
GUS @ WORK on October 23, 2009, 1:25 pm
Chuene and Komphela probably meant something different since they weren't speaking Pedi or Xhosa.
For me it will be enough if the IAAF issues ASA and SA a stern warning and declares these to vagabonds persona non grata in international sports.
GUS @ WORK on October 23, 2009, 1:42 pm
"This issue is not as clear cut as the doctor implies. With his results, why didn't the IAAF bar Semenya from running if the case was as clear cut as he makes it sound? They instead wanted Chuene to take all the responsibilities based on evidence that they themselves (and their specialist doctors) didn't deem sufficient to take direct action. Why is the IAAF now taking so long to make a determination on the tests they conducted? Again, because it is not a clear cut case. I have heard that they now need to redefine characteristics that makes a person qualify for participation in women sports, yet morons expected Chuenen to act in Berlin. Chuene was 100% correct in his approach to this."
Mpho R on October 23, 2009, 12:07 pm
The Moxster on October 23, 2009, 2:09 pm
Amazing how racial agendas are coming out. Some , seemingly white majority in this chat representing that sector who want any ANC official dismissed no matter what the offence nor due process. My guess is it comes from " Who is this ANC that dares to rule us". Then there are those like Adams who could not be trsuted to guard a brink from falling over on itself. His professional ethics should have reminded him of escalation procedures in the face of alegedly " a wrongful command or order". So Adams will kill an innocent patient if he is ordered to! or would he have revealed all if the matter had not gone public. Then there is the national hypocrysy about who did wrong going on here. First it was the "leaking" of a medical process by South Africans to the press. But these are not ANC so they must be left alone. Then it is the IAAF system itself whose policy only tests if you excel as if you must watch how you excel, or else you risk being tested. The system must test everyone as pre-qaulification from day 1 of performaing under the IAAf ambrella. But these are Europeans they cannot be stupid, only the ANC is shameful " to the whole world". Oh how much we reveal ourselves, our inner character that is. Yes Chuenne lacked decent advise esp from Adams and his type. I am black and not even ANC but I can say good and honest advice with asertiveness if need be, is rare for most black execs. Sort out this erratic IAAF system and yes Cheunne and his execs should have acted better and must be cautioned or demoted but not fired. They did not have the advice in good time (before leaving for Berlin) snd form. Also as president on an auspicipous ASA he oought to leave media issues ot spokesperson and ought to knwo better or take the rap without crying "we are not media people". I rest my case/s
Hector Chidembo on October 23, 2009, 2:28 pm
@moloko moloko
Zola Budd ran in events of 1500m and longer, Caster ran in the 800m. Where is the relevance of Zola's records being broken.
Nic Brummer on October 23, 2009, 3:16 pm
@ Mpho R @ Moxster
How stupid can you get? Or is it just an incorrigible habit of playing ostrich, with your head in the sand and your shiny arse in the air? Can you not read or think, or even just be conscious? Dr Adams reported the local test results to that rubbish Chuene, who deliberately chose to suppress them. So the IAAF were not given these test results by ASA. IAAF knew something was amiss, but the most they could do was to warn our bloody fool SAfricans to do the right thing - i.e. either let Caster withdraw, or let her run and then accept testing afterwards by the IAAF. You know, you two bozos are just like the old Nationalists - fear and hatred of the truth, fear of honesty, fear of able foreigners. For you, it's 'my toxic long-drop, right or wrong'. Oh well, who cares? You will just have to go on living with youselves. Bad luck, lads.
Citizen Mntu on October 23, 2009, 3:25 pm
I'll await a national apology to the white tribe from Winnie and Julius. Shouldn't be far away now.
Nahor Ecnarraf on October 23, 2009, 3:39 pm
This whole issue is a racist conspiracy against Chuene. The IAAF should accept blame for this whole fiasco and we agree with Khomphela that no IAAF delegation must sit foot in SA unless they unconditionally apologise.
White sports heroes like Hansie Cronje, who cheated and brought disgrace to our country, was protected by the media and no sponsor have threatened to withdraw their money from CSA! There was no outcry from the opposition parties or from the white lynchmob that Cronje should stand trial for fraud. Chuene is ASA's president and he will remains that!
Antony Boss on October 23, 2009, 3:57 pm
And we must not lose sight of that other matter - Chuene and chums conspiring to enrich themselves through sacking Caster's coach while in England and setting up their own agency to 'manage' the poor abused kid.
Why was that bastard Chuene so keen to keep the government Snouts happy? What was in it for him? Honour? I very much doubt it. Would that thing create such waves in the name of Honour? Pah! There has been a get-rich-quick scheme in this from way back. Why have we not heard any more about that angle? It was reported in the M&G when the news first broke.
Citizen Mntu on October 23, 2009, 3:57 pm
Caster is a female finish and klaar.
Lebo Maduna on October 23, 2009, 4:01 pm
@ Anthony Boss Get it straightened out man. (And dust off your shoulder too.)
Can't you see the difference between a 'sports hero' and a vile, fat, unsporting, self-enriching, lying, conspiring Jack-in-Office? You need to think again. Properly and logically. It helps.
Citizen Mntu on October 23, 2009, 4:03 pm
Chidembo & Boss:
Dudes... Are you ignorant to the FACT, that the man lied. He admitted it, he even apologised, now he's backing down again. The ONLY reason, why this is a 'racial issue', in your eyes, is because Chuene is black. If Chuene was white, I would have called for his head. Its unfortunate that you back Chuene, simply because he is black.
Sinudeity @gmail.com on October 23, 2009, 4:23 pm
Boss: PS, Cronje was BANNED from cricket FOR LIFE. Who protected him?
Sinudeity @gmail.com on October 23, 2009, 4:24 pm
I find the doctor to be very self rightious, like the your old SA whites when engaging blacks. To the Dr what is paramount is the credintials above the mission which at hand. What does not come clear from Adams "was it ethical to test Semenya or not ? To conduct those kind of tests was it an infringement on Semenya's rights ? ". What was the advice given to the athlete by the "honourable" doctor ? The doctor sounds too political than Julius Malema and must join a political party for career to prosper than using ASA. Adams makes it as if it was going to take Semenya the whole month to realise that the tests were an infringement on her rights and was going to take Semenya another six to decide not to take the tests. Typical old SA white person thinking of a black person. Donald Lee as expected forgot to tell Adams that he should be ashamed of himself and accept his fair share of the blame.
Sibo Vilakazi on October 23, 2009, 4:35 pm
Caster is a female finish and klaar.
Lebo Maduna on October 23, 2009, 4:01 pm Lebo, have you ever seen a girl with an Adams apple ?
Joe Pretorius on October 23, 2009, 5:00 pm
Boss, you idiot. Shouting your mouth off without the facts seems to be the norm for you. Hansie Cronje was lynched by the South African media. He had to appear before a public enquiry (remember that?). He was humiliated and then was banned for LIFE from cricket. Nobody, be it politician or sportsmen have had to endure what Hansie had to. So big mouth get your facts straight.
Tiger Lily on October 23, 2009, 5:22 pm
boss, when the sage with hansie broke, the headlines from MG, you know the ones they put on streetlights, simply stated : ' Fuck Hansie'.
Do you call that protection?
Ian mcintosh on October 23, 2009, 5:40 pm
Why is it so difficult for these idiots to just concentrate on Caster's wellfare? What a bunch of chops. Even when Winnie and others were sent to look after this young lady, they opted for the publicity and political denialist option. Help and care for this girl, do not use her as a pawn in your pathetic selfish and political ambitions. Do the right thing for once!
Paul Young on October 23, 2009, 5:56 pm
And we wonder what happened to the moral fibre of our society. South Africa being dragged through the mud again by stupid politicians. SHAME!!!
dom pedro on October 23, 2009, 9:07 pm
there we go again? somebody please tell me why Chuene is still ASA Pres? Dr Adams, there is a lot between the lines abt his side of the story..he went undercover after Berlin, suddenly he is now writing reports leaking to the media again, like the test results were leaked to the media. What did he do to ensure doctor-patient confidentiality? Why did he not afford the patient the right to know before disclosing that there were problems via email that was became subject of global intepretation? Yes maybe his credentials may not have to be doubted, but his ethical behaviour leave a lot to be desired.
2cents 2cents on October 23, 2009, 10:21 pm
Who is going to stop this avalanche of lies, indecency, blunt racism and brain washing of the masses? Hell, it's so insane.
In case of ASA, I never would entrust them my children!
Klaus Borgolte on October 23, 2009, 11:18 pm
What about the hordes of gullible South Africans that refused to accept how wrong it was to put poor Caster in that race.
Jason Whitehead on October 23, 2009, 11:28 pm
@ Joe Pretorius - So is that your 'sex test'? I'm afraid it puts you straight into kindergarten with Julius Malema as your best friend.
Citizen Mntu on October 23, 2009, 11:31 pm
@ 2cents 2cents - Yes. Why did Dr Adams not pipe up earlier?
You make a good point there. It is very, very trenchant. And, indeed, so does Adams. He has demonstrated to us just how easily the trails of stink and corruption can grow and spread. Adams is just a little tiddler in the hierarchy of stuff. More than the Big Shots, he needs his job. He is a professional, unlike most of the Big shots (or indeed any of them). So he does his duty, tries to do his duty, gets worried when he learns about the scam that his boss, 'Fat Pig' Chuene, is intent on pulling. His conscience troubles him. He properly refuses to attend Chuene's meetings with IAAF medics. Adams is a decent honest man. He finds himself suddenly at the centre of SA's latest Grand Scandal. But AT LEAST he has remained honest. I believe we can expect to see him as a willing witness when the goo hits the fan and Chuene is in the dock. But, in the process, we are seeing just how the greasy goo can spread so readily down from the Big Mafuta Pigs at the Luthuli Trough, all the way down to the little Crustaceans and Single-Cell-Organisms at the bottom. This is a wonderful case-study of SA governmental corruption, and I believe it will become a classic. NB: But who is really at the top of this particular Luthuli Trough? I do not think it is 'Piggy-Poo' Chuene. Remember, he said he had to 'make the politicians happy'? Well. What makes those Big Pigs happy? MORE MONEY. That's what. That's all. And who is the Top Big Pig in sports and games in SA? Who is our laughably named Minister of Sport & Recreation? Hmmm? And who was it that immediately joined in Chuene's 'politicise Caster' game? What almighty bastard immediately yelled 'Third World War on the IAAF'? Your Honour, I rest my case.
Citizen Mntu on October 23, 2009, 11:59 pm
No, wait, I add this to my argument yer Honour - there is another Rather Big and Rapidly Growing Piglet who enjoys a nice corner office in that pack of cards named Luthuli House.
This particular Piggy, though underducated and underaged for almost ANY responsibilty, has a lot of evil influence. This same Fat Piglet has demonstrated in various (and loud-mouthed and self-promoting) ways that he has an interest in both the poor abused young athlete and the 'politics' of the matter. This ambitious Piglet (let's call him Mr Jules Me Lame for now) is VERY likely in the cosy group of 'politicians' associated with the Minister of The Long Jump and Other Sports and Games. 'In Vito Vitrioque Veritas'
Citizen Mntu on October 24, 2009, 12:15 am
Scratch the surface and in every instance we find that money is behind the cheering, the shouting, the booing, the swearing, the snivelling and the crying. And the instant politicising, counter-accusing and racialising to smudge the smelly truth.
Citizen Mntu on October 24, 2009, 12:35 am
This horse is dead
Kaycee Potong on October 24, 2009, 8:19 am
Nic Brummer: I wasn’t serious with the Budd statement, however, I guarantee that the ANC’s anticipated comment on the Caster saga will blow every free thinking mind.
moloko moloko on October 24, 2009, 8:24 am
Why did i vote in the general election? because the ANC want to run sports in this country.Chuane should have been fired the moment he admitted he lied about the caster issue.
Monedi Gorekwang on October 25, 2009, 7:55 am
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