The South African government is going to spend an estimated R25-million in a court battle against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)‚ where they are defending 800m world and Olympic champion Caster Semenya.
Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa and her director-general, Alec Moemi, confirmed that the government was footing the bill for the assembly of a powerful team of local and international experts.
They will lead Semenya’s case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Zurich, Switzerland, from Monday.
Semenya is challenging the proposed rule amendment by the IAAF that seeks to restrict the levels of testosterone in female athletes.
Xasa said they are confident of success at Cas because they have assembled top medical and legal experts from South Africa and around the world.
“The case‚ which starts on Monday‚ needed resourcing but we have a full team there to put the case together‚” Xasa said‚ adding that their efforts have been endorsed and supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“We have provided that form of support as government despite the fact that we got indication of the dates from Cas at the last minute.
“The department has also facilitated visas and set up a base for the team and we have also offered various forms of support.
“We will continue to do that because we believe that it is not just about Athletics South Africa (ASA) or Caster Semenya‚ but also about the country rallying behind all athletes around the whole world.”
Moemi said the government believes that it was fighting a worthy battle and a loss would be catastrophic.
“We have also roped in a number of local and international experts and all that is supported and funded by government. We are not going there to lose because a loss will be catastrophic.
“There is the medical side of things‚ which includes experts from South Africa and other parts of the world who looked at research. There is also the legal stream where we had to assemble a team of lawyers to prepare the case together with Caster’s legal team.
“We are also supporting Athletics SA in terms of paying their legal fees as well as other related aspects such as travel and other logistics.
“As you know‚ many people are afraid to touch US citizens because they know if you do that their government is coming for you and it is the same in this case.
“The world cannot trample on the rights of South Africans everywhere in all facets of life. Government exists to protect the right of its citizens and we are doing exactly that.”
The South African high-level panel members are:
l Moemi ( who shall be the convener/ chair of the panel);
l Dr Debbie Alexander (Sascoc board member and a medical doctor);
l Aleck Skhosana (ASA president);
l Dr Harold Adams (deputy president of ASA);
l Richard Stander (ASA chief executive);
l Professor Steve Cornelius (a professor at the University of Pretoria, who is also the head of its law department);
l Professor Ross Tucker (professor at the University of Cape Town);
l Dr Phathokuhle Zondi (chairperson of Sascoc’s medical advisory committee);
l A legal team to be appointed by ASA; and
l Kenetswe Mosenogi (director: sport scientific support services at the Department of Sport and Recreation as the secretary of the panel)...