Semenya gestures after her arrival in South Africa, Tuesday Aug 25, 2009South Africans on Tuesday 25th August offered a befitting welcome to Semenya, at the O R Tambo International Airport, when she returned home from the event in Germany. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela, along with Semenya’s parents said: We are here to tell the whole world how proud we are of our little girl.
The gold-medal-winning teenager cried "Mama! Mama!" and reached out for her mother at the welcoming ceremony in the arrival area.
Semenya, who tried a few dance moves while the crowd cheered wildly, gave a thumbs-up before breaking into a broad grin and said: "Hi, everybody!"
Semenya's mother, Dorcus, wearing a traditional headdress said: We feel powerful because of her.
Semenya's return was given top coverage by local media, with the Times running a wraparound souvenir poster headlined "Welcome home Caster, our champ", with a life-sized portrait of the 18-year-old.
ANC Youth League President Julius Malema congratulated her on her win and said: Like Nelson Mandela, Caster Semenya today makes us very proud. Malema however questioned why there were so few white South African supporters in the audience saying, that if there were returning rugby stars there would be more white people.
The IAAF is subjecting Semenya to gender tests after its suspicions were aroused by her sudden improvement on the track, her muscular build and deep voice.
Eric Modiba, head of the Nthema Secondary School, from where Semenya graduated last year, told South Africa's Beeld newspaper: She was always rough and played with the boys. She liked soccer and she wore pants to school. She never wore a dress. It was only in grade 11 that I realised she's a girl.
Semenya's grandmother, Maphuthi Sekgala, 80, told South Africa's Times newspaper: It is God who made her look that way.
Despite this, critiques have said that Semenyas’ issue has been handled in the worst way possible. The practice by IAAF has been that names of athletes suspected of drug taking are NOT released until the second test comes back positive which was not the case with Semenya. Ironically, the suspicions about Semenyas gender were publicized even before the first test was done. This shameful behavior created room for speculations.
Moreover, her birth certificate clearly states she is female.
If tests will prove that she is a hermaphrodite, the world is waiting to see how the IAAF will snatch their medal back. Are hermaphrodites not human, worth world attention? Why then are they not allowed to compete and keep their medals? South Africa President Jacob Zuma, however, vowed that he would not permit her gold medal to be taken away, no matter what gender tests say.
The gold-medal-winning teenager cried "Mama! Mama!" and reached out for her mother at the welcoming ceremony in the arrival area.
Semenya, who tried a few dance moves while the crowd cheered wildly, gave a thumbs-up before breaking into a broad grin and said: "Hi, everybody!"
Semenya's mother, Dorcus, wearing a traditional headdress said: We feel powerful because of her.
Semenya's return was given top coverage by local media, with the Times running a wraparound souvenir poster headlined "Welcome home Caster, our champ", with a life-sized portrait of the 18-year-old.
ANC Youth League President Julius Malema congratulated her on her win and said: Like Nelson Mandela, Caster Semenya today makes us very proud. Malema however questioned why there were so few white South African supporters in the audience saying, that if there were returning rugby stars there would be more white people.
The IAAF is subjecting Semenya to gender tests after its suspicions were aroused by her sudden improvement on the track, her muscular build and deep voice.
Eric Modiba, head of the Nthema Secondary School, from where Semenya graduated last year, told South Africa's Beeld newspaper: She was always rough and played with the boys. She liked soccer and she wore pants to school. She never wore a dress. It was only in grade 11 that I realised she's a girl.
Semenya's grandmother, Maphuthi Sekgala, 80, told South Africa's Times newspaper: It is God who made her look that way.
Despite this, critiques have said that Semenyas’ issue has been handled in the worst way possible. The practice by IAAF has been that names of athletes suspected of drug taking are NOT released until the second test comes back positive which was not the case with Semenya. Ironically, the suspicions about Semenyas gender were publicized even before the first test was done. This shameful behavior created room for speculations.
Moreover, her birth certificate clearly states she is female.
If tests will prove that she is a hermaphrodite, the world is waiting to see how the IAAF will snatch their medal back. Are hermaphrodites not human, worth world attention? Why then are they not allowed to compete and keep their medals? South Africa President Jacob Zuma, however, vowed that he would not permit her gold medal to be taken away, no matter what gender tests say.
