Is racism to blame for Semenya gender-test row?

The Zapiro cartoon sourced from Mail & Guardian Online.


FIRST things first … ours is a racially divided society. This is a lasting legacy of apartheid. The status quo must have Hendrik Verwoerd smiling in his grave.

The spin-doctoring and political correctness aside, white people are pioneers of racism. Hence, many white people are direct and indirect beneficiaries of institutionalised racism that reigned supreme during the heyday of the oppressive regime.

According to racist mentality, white people are inherently competent while black people are incapable of greatness. This line of thought dictates that the only way that black people can climb the corporate ladder is through the requirements of affirmative action, not competency or merit. So it is no surprise that white people are still calling the shots in the workplace and in the country’s economy.

Racism is not just a figment of imagination. It’s a reality to many black South Africans. I, for one, can attest to being a victim of racism many times in my 28 years of existence. I continue to be subjected to subtle and obvious forms of racism. I have come to a realisation that being discriminated against on the grounds of my race will form part of the rest of my life.

With my experience of racism, I consider myself to be quite well-placed to discern what constitutes racism.

This brings us to the teenage sensation Caster Semenya’s controversy. Is racism behind the gender-testing storm that has catapulted Semenya into the international spotlight?

According to various organisations and individuals, racism is to blame for Semenya’s gender test woes. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has been labelled a racist entity which cannot come to terms with the fact that Africans, especially women, are capable of phenomenal achievements.

In a rare occurrence, political protagonists such as ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, the Democratic Alliance and the Independent Democrats are singing from the same hymn book (that of racism). Joining the racism mob are the ANC Women’s League, the African People’s Convention, the Young Communist League, the South African Football Players Union, the South African Students’ Congress and Commission for Employment Equity chairman Jimmy Manyi.

In my view, the cries of racism in the Semenya controversy are not only preposterous but also gibberish of the highest order. They defy logic.

On what basis could Semenya’s gender testing be construed as racist in nature? After all, this is not the first time in the history of athletics that a competitor has had to undergo a gender test.

There have been white athletes before Semenya who have been subjected to gender verification. By way of example, Polish athlete Ewa Klobukowska was banned from competing in Olympics and professional sport after she failed a gender test in 1967.

The crux of the matter in the Semenya saga is the societal stereotyping of acceptable mannerisms, looks and behaviour of the female and male species. Based on the current standard description of men and women, the IAAF has reasonable grounds to carry out a gender test to determine whether Semenya has unfair advantage over other athletes.

What is deplorable though is the manner in which the IAAF handled the matter. ID leader Patricia de Lille is right in advising Semenya to sue the bungling IAAF.

Racism is not the issue here, but the accuracy and fairness of gender testing is.

Cedric Mboyisa is political editor of The Citizen. This column first appeared in The Citizen Newspaper.