CAPE TOWN, Feb. 19 -- South African lawmakers on Tuesday urged their countrymen to support a bid by the country's 800-meter double Olympic champion Caster Semenya to appeal a new set of hyperandrogenism regulations.
The regulations, introduced by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), were originally scheduled to come into effect in November 2018, but were delayed after Semenya lodged an appeal against them.
Semenya, who is the reigning world champion in the 400m and 800m track, is challenging the proposed rule, under which, female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) will be forced to medicate to reduce their testosterone levels.
The IAAF's insistence on changing the regulations will lead to many people viewing it as a discriminatory world sporting organization, said Beauty Dlulane, Chairperson of the South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation.
"There has to be justification in what the IAAF is proposing, because as things stand it appears they just want to slow Caster (down). For as long as Caster has competed, it has been the IAAF's intention to change the regulations in order to disadvantage her," Dlulane said.
"The IAAF's actions towards Caster Semenya and other female athletes in Africa should be rejected with the contempt they deserve," said Dlulane.
Dlulane emphasized the importance of denouncing racism and sexism in sport, particularly when they are hidden in regulations.
The South African government said earlier it suspects that the regulations and specifically targets Semenya as they are only applicable to 400m to mile, including 400m, hurdle races, 800m and 1500m, the categories wherein coincidentally Semenya participates and generally dominates.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear the landmark case later this week.
Dlulane called on the world, including every South African, to support Semenya during the hearing of the appeal against the regulations.
She welcomed the South African Department of Sport and Recreation's high-level team to fight the case, as well as President Cyril Ramaphosa message of support.