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Johannesburg - There is no guarantee that the results of a gender test performed on athlete Caster Semenya will be kept confidential, Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said on Thursday.
"We can never guarantee that," Stofile said, adding that the origins of leaks about the gender tests on her had not been traced.
Stofile was responding to questions from the media about the announcement of a deal between the government, Semenya's lawyers and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
As part of the agreement, Semenya will retain the gold medal she won at the IAAF world competition in Berlin earlier this year, the title of 800m champion, and her prize money.
Stofile said the IAAF would convene on Friday when the matter would be formalised.
It would be a "breach of faith" if the IAAF did not agree to the deal.
Prior to the August competition, questions had been raised about Semenya's gender because of her masculine physique, deep voice and powerful running style.
In an earlier statement the department said the IAAF agreed that the tests done on Semenya would be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor.
"As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found," it said.
Stofile said the results could be conveyed to Semenya as early as this weekend.
"We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional, ethical and moral way of doing things."
The IAAF conducted a gender test on Semenya in Germany, to the criticism of suspended Athletics South Africa (ASA) president Leonard Chuene and local politicians, who accused the IAAF of racism, sexism, eurocentricity and colonialism.
Chuene later admitted that ASA had conducted its own gender test on Semenya before she left for Germany. He has been suspended over the debacle.
In September, an Australian newspaper reported an as yet unconfirmed leak that the IAAF had found Semenya was a hermaphrodite. Semenya was reportedly "devastated" about the article.
The IAAF had described Semenya's treatment as "deeply regrettable", the department of sport and recreation said in a statement.
"The IAAF is adamant that the public discourse did not originate with them," the department said.
"We also cannot prove the contrary. It is our considered view that this chapter of blame-apportioning must now be closed."
The department said that, after deliberations with the IAAF and Semenya's lawyers, it was decided that the runner was blameless in the controversy and should keep the prizes she won in Berlin.
The department criticised the ASA under Chuene and endorsed the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), which took over the administration of ASA after the suspension of Chuene and the board. A new board is to be elected over the weekend.
It said it had spoken to involved parties from the start, despite many challenges.
"This [discussion] was not easy given the sensitivity of the issues as well as the distance between us and the sport bodies. The IAAF is in Europe; ASA is in South Africa, but were harder to get the facts from," the department said.
"Perhaps SASCOC was better in getting closer to the truth, because they started the quest for the truth later than all of us."
Asked how Semenya was taking the news that she could retain her Berlin gains, Stofile was sure she was "excited".
"She will roll with the punches. In my view Caster Semenya's future is in her hands. She can decide to run as a girl, which she is," he said.
"We can never guarantee that," Stofile said, adding that the origins of leaks about the gender tests on her had not been traced.
Stofile was responding to questions from the media about the announcement of a deal between the government, Semenya's lawyers and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
As part of the agreement, Semenya will retain the gold medal she won at the IAAF world competition in Berlin earlier this year, the title of 800m champion, and her prize money.
Stofile said the IAAF would convene on Friday when the matter would be formalised.
It would be a "breach of faith" if the IAAF did not agree to the deal.
Prior to the August competition, questions had been raised about Semenya's gender because of her masculine physique, deep voice and powerful running style.
In an earlier statement the department said the IAAF agreed that the tests done on Semenya would be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor.
"As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found," it said.
Stofile said the results could be conveyed to Semenya as early as this weekend.
"We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional, ethical and moral way of doing things."
The IAAF conducted a gender test on Semenya in Germany, to the criticism of suspended Athletics South Africa (ASA) president Leonard Chuene and local politicians, who accused the IAAF of racism, sexism, eurocentricity and colonialism.
Chuene later admitted that ASA had conducted its own gender test on Semenya before she left for Germany. He has been suspended over the debacle.
In September, an Australian newspaper reported an as yet unconfirmed leak that the IAAF had found Semenya was a hermaphrodite. Semenya was reportedly "devastated" about the article.
The IAAF had described Semenya's treatment as "deeply regrettable", the department of sport and recreation said in a statement.
"The IAAF is adamant that the public discourse did not originate with them," the department said.
"We also cannot prove the contrary. It is our considered view that this chapter of blame-apportioning must now be closed."
The department said that, after deliberations with the IAAF and Semenya's lawyers, it was decided that the runner was blameless in the controversy and should keep the prizes she won in Berlin.
The department criticised the ASA under Chuene and endorsed the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), which took over the administration of ASA after the suspension of Chuene and the board. A new board is to be elected over the weekend.
It said it had spoken to involved parties from the start, despite many challenges.
"This [discussion] was not easy given the sensitivity of the issues as well as the distance between us and the sport bodies. The IAAF is in Europe; ASA is in South Africa, but were harder to get the facts from," the department said.
"Perhaps SASCOC was better in getting closer to the truth, because they started the quest for the truth later than all of us."
Asked how Semenya was taking the news that she could retain her Berlin gains, Stofile was sure she was "excited".
"She will roll with the punches. In my view Caster Semenya's future is in her hands. She can decide to run as a girl, which she is," he said.
