Yep, I am afraid that is the question that has been going through my mind for the last week or so. Would there be such a furore if she had been white? I think not. That is to say, there would not have been such sputterings from the sports minister and Reverend Stofile has threatened world war three. Fascinating, irreverent hyperbole coming from a man of the Christian cloth. His remark was so reminiscent of the empty bravado of dictators like Idi Amin and Saddam “mother of all wars” Hussein, not to mention a wannabe but ne’er-will-be dictator like Eugene Terre’blanche who was justly found guilty of assaulting a black man. ET stood up and blustered, “Nou het die oorlog begin!” Now the war has begun.
Uncannily similar statements suggesting full frontal lobotomies have taken place, no? I truly feel for this young lady, Ms Semenya. According to the Australian medical report she has no womb or ovaries, and has inner testes which boost her testosterone count and thus may arguably give her an unfair advantage. Or so the claim goes. Be honest, was anyone out there surprised by the alleged reports, given Ms Semenya’s facticity? Inevitably, drearily and irresponsibly, the SA sports bodies and many SA people are crying foul as it is merely racism. Of course it is not racism and the case is not as simple as that. Let us look at the simple facts. Ms Semenya has a strapping figure, and to be perfectly frank, like many people, if I had not known who she was, when I first saw pictures of her I would have sworn I was looking at a powerful, good-looking young man who I would not want to throw a fist at me. I wouldn’t mind rugby ball biceps and rippling shoulders like that. The cover of YOU magazine? I would have thought that was a man in drag. I asked the ladies in my office here in China to look at the cover of YOU and they thought so too. The cover of YOU comes across as a case of special pleading to convince the world she is a woman — in the wrong way.
She is not “traditionally feminine” or petite, not by a long chalk. The request for testing is not unreasonable even though gender verification was stopped in 2000. But the most important issue, to me, is, how about Ms Semenya’s feelings on the matter? I feel she should be the first to be allowed to decide what her gender is, as medically, allegedly, she has traits of both sexes. She has decided she is a woman because that is how she naturally feels about it. That should be respected. Therefore the claim that she should be disqualified from winning should be dismissed. However, her future wins and the current one will be soured as too many people will not be happy (including athletes) with her competing because of the hermaphroditic medical evidence and the unfair advantage.
Rather like my piece on Brandon Huntley, I am not so much interested in whether or not Caster Semenya should be disqualified. I am more interested in the response of South Africans, particularly the mass cry of racism and various leaders. Instead of letting fair law be applied and acknowledging that gender verification is a complex matter, the issue is reduced to one of racism. So what message is South Africa sending to the world about how it deals with delicate, complex matters? The picture of a self-destructing sledgehammer where a scalpel is required is what comes to mind. South Africans continue to polarise themselves over accusations of racism, where there are none. It just deepens the rifts and sends a bad message to the international community.
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43 Responses to “And if Ms Semenya were not black?”
When Julius Malema asked why no whites showed up at Caster Semenya’s welcome party, I was embarassed. As a reasonable black person, I knew that the so called welcome party was a very bad publicity stunt and stayed away. It was like showing a middle finger to the IAAF when we did not have accurate facts as to the genetic make up of Caster. No wonder the Australian papers went all out to prove our stupidity. I stayed away from the party because I thought it was unfair to Caster to set her up for public humiliation. I was therefore embarassed that my “hero” Julius Malema thought it was only white people who were wise enough to stay away. How could he not realise that a number of very inteligent blacks also stayed away. I hate to say, I told you so, but hey Julius, Leanord, Winnie and others, you are responsible for this mess.
I apologise for i havent read the entire article…i will though. But I just wanted to point out honestly that the fisrt time i saw Caster on morning live (arround february) i did get taken aback. I actually googled her trying to figure out whether it was a girl or boy i saw on morning live in passing, needless to say at the time there was nothing about her on the internet. But one thing i did not do is go asking people whether they saw her and making a joke about it, i wondered to myself and by the afternoon i had forgoten until recent events. Also, i thought the you magazine thing was ridiculous.
Im mad at the way this thing was played out by everybody involved….
I dont understand how race comes into the whole thing,if does no one has presented a convincing argument in that regard…
And im black….
Im just sick of the race card at this point…i think its becoming a slang now…..if i tried hard, i could find a race reason to explain why i’m not at school today….
Whites underestimate black people in south africa.
The maliciousness level is very high at ground level.If you live in the black township and
understand the culture and language then it would be revealed.
Racism is a disease and many blacks in RSA, particularly in Government have caught it! Let us all forget Caster, and feel sorry for her….but she will never be able to compete again as to have her competing against women, both black and white, is unfair to them! Why not acknowledge Mulaudzi for HIS GOLD MEDAL, fairly earned, and Mokoena for his SILVER MEDAL, fairly earned….and just remain silent about Semenya and be thought a fool, rather than that reverend (sic) Stofile, who opens his mouth and removes all doubt.
I think we should leave the case up to semenya. Its her body, she get’s to choose. As for compeating in futre athletic events, I’d be upset if I was a fellow athleate, just as I’d be upset if a competetor was cheating by using steroids. Unfortunatly this is sports. and no life is not fair, unfortunatly.
Bt way of comparison…
Note - look past my comments to the whole message. They truly are not sexist.
A long time ago I worked with a statesque Swedish blonde. Wait, it’s not what you are thinking! She was at least 6 foot 3 inches tall, ungainly as hell and ridiculous in any kind of heels, uglier than the back of a bus, had huge shoulders, no doubt found difficulty finding clothes to wear on that size frame, etc etc.
Yet….she was undoubtedly a woman. Her voice was of a pitch that suggested no alternative, she had small breasts but breasts nonetheless, was happily married, and some years later fell pregnant.
I look at Caster and I think of the Swedish lady and , really, Caster does not even come close in a contest on femininity. It’s a shame, it’s a real shame.
But look on the bright side. Even if Caster is disqualified from future competition, she seems to have made quite a bit of money to aid her future.
On the whole matter the reaction of Stofile, Winnie, Julius and the rest. It only confirms that they suffer from a inferiority complex towards whites.
They are an embarrasment to my fellow black South Africans, who do not feel their ridiculouse insecurities.
Amazed
lEE
Amazed
@Lana - you take taxi’s, and you know, blacks, and taxis…it becomes self explanatory after that. I’m kidding.
Yet on a more serious note - the Caster Semenya case is really getting out of hand. I totally agree that the race card is exhausted. However, I must point out that a lot of Africans still think in black and white. I know because some of my relatives had pretty much the same thing to say, ie “It’s because she’s black” [this was before Julie Malema had anything to say about it]. It’s sad, and although I tried to veer away from the race issue, they weren’t about to get off that horse. Its sad, but in many ways it is really a reflection of our not-so-technicolour rainbow nation.
Rod I deleted my comments to you for this is to a big laugh! You just want to entertain yourself with our responses at the expence Miss Mokgadi Caster Semenya. Miss not Ms, Rod. Miss!
Sibusiso Kumalo on September 14th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I haven’t lived in South Africa for more than a decade, so please forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but when I lived in Jozi You was the worst type of magazine - like The National Enquirer - and used to feature articles like, “The Hairy-Faced Children of Mexico”. If the powers that be thought that it was an appropriate place to showcase Ms. Semenya’s normality it was a pretty bad error of judgement.
The ANC and its running dog cadres have fed on a diatribe diet of ‘racism’ for so long they can’t bring themselves to acknowledge and accept that the menu has changed. Such poverty of vision debilitates ALL South Africans: inclusively!
I hope our national concern about Ms Semenya will result in her being counselled, and encouraged to use her skills in athletics training for gifted children. I hope her experience will enable other people who share her plight to be free of abuse, mockery and prurient curiosity.I also hope that her doctors will advise her on whether her condition could have serious consequences in future, such as the development of cancer. Ms Semenya, you are an admirable person and I wish you well.
Maybe then it’s time for a great number of white people to acquaint themselves with black culture and languages and live in the townships with black people so that they may stop underestimating or exeggarating black malice.
I might be wrong but i get the feeling that the race card came up a as a way to deflect blame from ASA and its working wonders coz now this whole issue is now a political problem instead of sporting. The handling of the whole thing was bad but for people to bring race in this is just wrong. Honeslty lets just ignore the comments made by certain people regarding race coz the more we debate them the more we move away from the real problem and we end up deviding ourselves coz of a few people who cant do their jobs.
As we all know, our SA passport is no longer any good because of the corruption at home affairs and now we need a Visa to go to most other countries.
After this Semeya debacle it may well transpire that SA will be banned from attending international events as the gender of the athletes may be in question, and if the IAAF dare to question anyone then SA will take them to court or the UN? Now the SA Government is shouting about human rights? What about the rights of other athletes to compete on an equal basis? Perhaps, soon SA will try to send more and more ‘fakes’ to games in order to win medals. After all we have corruption, theft and crime from the top of government to the bottom - why not in athletics? The ANC has egg all over their faces from trying to gain political mileage at the cost of a poor girl who just wanted to run races.Maybe she knew it was not fair and then maybe not.
I wonder when we are going to have a ‘woman’s wrestling team trying to tour overseas with men dressed in drag?? Would not surprise me as our SAF wants medals at any cost. “It would be a travesty of justice and an invasion of their human rights if anyone had the cowardice to ask them to pull down their panties”!!
There is another issue with the overuse of the race card.
Race, as a social construct, and discrimination as a result of it, is still a very large part of South African’s lives every day. By blasting the race card from the rooftops for every slight (real or imagined), it cheapens the experience for those that actually suffer because of their race. Its continual use diminishes its effectiveness.
Apart from that, it creates the appearance of a simple reactionary government and perpetuates current attitudes toward the continent.
It is the boy that shouted wolf one time too many – or in our case 100 times.
@NiC.
Ethics and racialism is taught by our parents(peers).eg the “race card”.When people from the former black townships disagree with you or they do not get want they want or if you catch them out eg stealing or lying they ARE very quick to throw the race card at you and accuse you of things you did not do.Its almost a standard method and has a common pattern so that they do not lose face.
Another way they throw it at you is if when you
become assertive or if you ask them questions they do not like.They then throw it back to you and blame YOU for “shouting” at them or been
“rough”.Its like been a spoilt child that does not get what he/she WANTS.When you keep quiet they
accuse you of not listening to them.???
They never explain themselves because it’s always you that must explain yourself.!!!
@skabenga,
i’m puzzled and really taken aback by the level of and the choice of illustrative words that actually describes in the main your perhaps instinctive reaction to the topic at hand. ourlives since the docking of those three ships in the western cape in 1652 had been in every way since been about the colour of one’s skin that you can’t argue to be fictous, later followed by H.F’s formalization to a policy of good neighbourlyness, it has always been about the colour, you can not in a healthy state of mind expect that would over just a decade will change.
Caster being black or even if she was white a debate would have been about how the reasonable eye looks at the situation tests done or not. sukuba sisihiba.
The fortunate part about my sister is that is from a poor family background as we all know we normally accept whatever happens in life, thats a blessing.
There is something so fundamentally wrong with this whole issue. Media at large has no problem with violating the rights of an 18 year old. Here we have a so-called intelligent person using Castor to make an insignficant point about this and that.There is NO FACTUAL information that has been verified to date. And yet, we have violated Castor’s and her family’s RIGHT TO PRIVACY. Our media went so far as to phone the mother and father on seperate occasions to ‘break the news’. Have we lost our humanity? What is it that we want to do to this family? Why are we relishing in their pain? Castor and her family will be forgotten in a years time and yet this very media cannot hold themselves back from inflicting as much pain as they can in such a short space of time. What in fact is Castor’s sin? The fact that she ran,broke the record and won a medal.Why are we finding it so hard to protect her? We allow this violation by a crowd who should know better. I wonder what they would have done if Castor had to be their daughter or their sister? This is absolutely crazy! She is a mere 18yr old from a poor background in a far flung rural township. How will they cope when all is said and done? How will the community steeped in tradition treat them? OMG what have we done?
@Sdi and detractors, perhaps a kneejerk response to the idiocy I see posted on the MG site, stop being puzzled, its simple your culture needs to ditch the hate and move onto a positive future where the race card and hating the white man is not even a topic of discussion or a thought, any wise man will tell you to learn from your mistakes and leave the past behind.
1652, ships, verwoed etc still seems to be your focus, whilst mine is on how well my beloved maritzburg united are going to do this season, I really couldn’t care less that a large potion of the black culture hates me and my skin colour, because not for one second do I focus on racial farcical victim scapegoat nonsense. Semenya should be a watershed for all black people to stop playing victim. The author hits the nail on the head, what if she was white, 4 other female athletes have been banned due to similar issues, do you know their names, well exactly, you are found wanting bru, my guess is they were white. Move into the future, I promise its way more rewarding than 1652.
If she hadn’t been Black then the same thing that happened with Santhi Soundarajan would have happened and every other intersex athlete since about the 1960s:
OR hadn’t it occured to you that the IAAF’s rather complicated rules for gender came about because of forty years worth of medically interesting cases, and surprising genetic finds?
As well as medical tests to see if the genetic anomalies do or do not give an extra advantage, which is why some intersex are allowed to compete as women and some are not.
And yes, it was Malema’s, the ANC’s and every other ignorant (Black) SA that decided to scream racism and plaster Semenya’s case all over the world’s press, before they considered that the IAAF included Asians as well as White Europeans, that have now made Semenya the world’s most famous intersex.
And probably made it impossible for (him)/her to ever now have a “normal” life.
Great article. The ruling elite pull the race card every time to deflect the anger of masses away from themselves and refocus it on the white man. Exactly the same thing has been practised against the Jews in Europe for centuries. So very sad.
Welcome to our South African show where any thing goes.War against crime I am OK with that. War against corruption I am OK with that.War for Caster I am sorry. Caster I will fight for your human rights . Do not listen to these politicans they will chew and spit you out as soon as they find some other object that will get their names in the media.
Thomas C Kantha on September 14th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Then again let us all humbly accept that if Caster was white and Chuene behaved the way he had behaved the blame will lie squarely with Caster and not IAAF. The fact that Caster is black allows Chuene, Malema, Winnie and others to abuse her rights because she is “our little girl”.
I am 100% certain that the Australian media would have reacted the way they did even if Caster was white but I must point out that the behaviour of the media has been unethical regardless of Caster’s race.
As a white I truly feel abused and victimised; sort of raped by Leonard, Winnie & Malema, and then consigned to hell by the Reverend for all THEIR sins.
Btw Letstasti, you’re 100% spot on!
perhaps someone rememeers another local SA kid who was crucified on the alter of international cynicism: Zola Budd… a provincial white girl who liked to run barefoot and was subjected to similar humiliation to that suffered by Ms Semenya… for reasons of which she was innocent.
It really doesn’t matter what colour she is no one deserves to be treated with such total disrespect and no one comes out of this affair smelling good; other than Ms Semenya. The bullshit broke Ms Budd and she retreated to rural hell [ i believe; if Bloemfontein… sorry Manguan {sic} could be called a sophisticated rural place…] Perhaps Ms Semenya may prove to made of sterner stuff.
I take a more sympathetic view. The reason Caster is such a hero is precisely because she is NOT white - namely, that she succeeded despite coming from a disadvantaged background, lousy township schools with no sports facilities, no sports science people, no biokinetics etc… She never went to Bishops or Rustenburg. To succeed with her background - she is a HERO, despite all the rubbish that has followed.
I take a more sympathetic view. The reason Caster is such a hero is precisely because she is NOT white - namely, that she succeeded despite coming from a disadvantaged background, lousy township schools with no sports facilities, no sports science people, no biokinetics etc… She never went to Bishops or Rustenburg. To succeed despite her background - she is a HERO, despite all the rubbish that has followed.
Through this ridiculous circus (rather, freak show) orchestrated by Malema & Co. the lime light was stolen from Muladzi & Mokoena.
As for the racist comments above - I would imagine that people who think like that, have a huge inferiority complex. You magazine is trash and what a pity that they had that patronizing expose of Caster.
ASA has to acknowledge their blunder and they have to apologise to Caster, publicly. I don’t think Caster will be able to participate again. I really do hope that she will find something else to do that will challenge her so that she can overcome this huge embarrassment and get on with her life, whichever way she chooses to do. The media should now give her the space and freedom she so desperately needs. Come on, ASA, do what is right - no longer can you try to exonerate yourself by shifting the blame with your stupid accusations!
I don’t think whites “underestimate” blacks and I don’t think one needs to live in a township to know that. I do think that to make this claim is racist. And I also think that if Caster were white, there would be a deathly silence from all concerned at the problems faced by a man pretending to be a woman to win an 800m race.
Sibusiso Kumalo - you are wrong about the use of the title, Ms. It is a feminist term in use for decades to replace the sexist distinction between miss and Mrs (optional). Men only have Mr. You may even notice your spellcheck does not pick up Ms as being wrong, including TL’s Wordpress.
I have thought long and hard about the racism issue surrounding this girl. We have a case where black Liberators painted themseleves as the downtrodden with angelic Halos.
I feel that because of this righteousness they cannot help putting their foot in it at every turn expecting I suppose to be forgiven for erring
I suspect too the equality to these rightoeaus means that one is not allowed to critisize or disagree or show up shortcoming.
That said they have a tendency to make a lot of noise as a diversion / smokescreen when they know they are in the wrong.
One thing that I have always found suspicous is that Caster did not react as expected when she won. All athletes show some emotion at winning. Is that the result of knowledge privy to her and ASA.
IF caster was white, the chances are that the ASA would not have tried to hoodwink the world as to her gender. They thought that they could play the race card and that all athletes of any race would accept the cheating?
I find it so sad that the race card was foisted onto poor Caster. As far as I can tell she has the nation’s and the world’s sympathy for the way she was treated. The country seems to be uniting to support her only to be torn apart by cries of racism that make every effort to polarise SA for ever. I like to think that many of us out there of all races are more mature than the politicians and see this racism cry as a political ploy that is using poor Caster. This woman has had a terrible time, only to be used by people pretending to support her.
@ Mark Robinson: The poor background does NOT automatically make one a hero, especially if one cheats by winning as a man running against women. Her/his 800m time broke no record for men.
@ Hugh Robinson: I also noticed Semenya’s strange behaviour, first thought it was shyness but realise it could be that s/he is a good person and feels ashamed of the charade. Would also explain why the ASA does not allow Semenya to speak to the press..
Thank you Rod for correcting me! Now I know that you know wrong from right, Ms from Miss, etc. As you can tell English is my, let me count - isiZulu, seSotho, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, ja! Afrikaans (ek is os ‘n Afrikaner -not the cow silly!). English is my sixth language, and I have only mentiioned those that I can read and right - sorry wright!
To me, well up until your correction, Miss - refers to an unmarried woman as opposed to Mrs who is/was married and Ms who has reverted to her maiden name after a divorse, or what ever! married women who use their maiden names also lose the Miss. That is, in my books!
I still feel strongly about your views on Mokgadi! Please drop the title, China! To be PC don’t call Chinese China! I am almost certain you are not that dumb! Almost!
Sibusiso Kumalo on September 16th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Sibusiso - I don’t call Chinese China. That… is……. wait for it…. the name of the nation. Read the definitions of cracking below my blog title.
I see you have me confused with Adam Currie on the Reader blog, “A white South African refugee heads home”. That was a great blog but my alter ego is not Adam Currie.You wrote: “congratulations, Rod you really speak your mind. You have also recovered well from your “If..” blog.”
The “If” I assume refer to my “And if Ms Semenya were black?” piece.
Unless there are two Sibusiso Kumalos.
Are you two?
I have zero language skills. I can get by quite adequately in my own language, thank you, can understand fairly well Afrikaans. I am married to a lovely Afrikaans lady - she and her family recognise my pathetic linguistic skills and speak to me in English and are happy if I reply in English although the rest of the conversation may be in afrikaans.
I am impressed that you “read and right - sorry wright” (no shame given that its your sixth language but its actually write) six languages
Given that it is your sixth language your English skills are fabulous, really.
But don’t enter into arguments about the correct form a word or the precise meaning of a word when it is your sixth language.
That goes beyond rudeness to arrogance.
Thank you guys for the education. I really don’t take meself as seriously as you guys do. Wright, Write, Rite, who cares - well, maybe the two of you. Apologies to both. We are in the same race, human! Thas why we, sorry, I err.
Maybe I should relegate English to the 11th language. Yes!
@Rod
There are as many Sibusiso Kumalo as there are many Rod MacKenzie’s. I am sure that thought must have occupied your mind. However, it the same person that dumb Sibusiso Kumalo that typed both responses. A 1000 apologies sir! I must stop making these me stakes.
Sibusiso Kumalo on September 18th, 2009 at 9:49 am
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CRACKING CHINA was previously the title of this blog. That title was used as the name for Rod MacKenzie's second book, Cracking China: a memoir of our first three years in China. A born and bred South African, he is currently in New Zealand.
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When Julius Malema asked why no whites showed up at Caster Semenya’s welcome party, I was embarassed. As a reasonable black person, I knew that the so called welcome party was a very bad publicity stunt and stayed away. It was like showing a middle finger to the IAAF when we did not have accurate facts as to the genetic make up of Caster. No wonder the Australian papers went all out to prove our stupidity. I stayed away from the party because I thought it was unfair to Caster to set her up for public humiliation. I was therefore embarassed that my “hero” Julius Malema thought it was only white people who were wise enough to stay away. How could he not realise that a number of very inteligent blacks also stayed away. I hate to say, I told you so, but hey Julius, Leanord, Winnie and others, you are responsible for this mess.
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