We were unaware of Morama's gender - BNSC

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Staff Writer | Thursday August 30, 2012 00:00

 

Morama was quoted in a weekend paper as having said she was a man and not a woman. It is alleged that the BNSC knew Morama's gender all along, but made him compete as a girl. But BNSC chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng has been quick to dismiss the talk as 'nonsense' meant to tarnish the image of the council.

'I do not know the intentions of anyone who would say such things, but there is no truth in that,' he said. He said the BNSC engaged experts to conduct gender tests on Morama, which revealed then that she was a girl. Reikeletseng said Morama's issue was complex. 'I am not a doctor but I think her body evolved with time,' he said.

Trade and Industry Minister, Dorcas Makgato-Malesu, who was BNSC chairperson then, refused to shed light on the issue. 'I know what you want to talk about, go and ask BNSC, I am Dorcas Makgato-Malesu; I am not BNSC,' she retorted, before Mmegi Sport could introduce the subject that evokes the Caster Semenya controversy. 

Makgato-Malesu said she would only comment on the matter if she were implicated. Morama is a Paralympics and All Africa Games (AAG) 200m gold medallist. A source close to the council had told Mmegi Sport that although BNSC was aware of Morama's gender they decided to let the athlete compete as a girl because no questions were raised at the time.

According to the source, Morama is likely to be stripped of her medals unless the council proved beyond doubt that they were unaware at the time. Morama recently came out and declared that although he was raised as a girl she is actually a boy. The 200 metre-sprinter said 'he' would approach the courts to change 'her' birth records.

Questions about Morama's actual gender first surfaced in 2006 after allegations that 'she' fathered a child.  BNSC rubbished the allegations as nonsense and Morama was immediately whisked away allegedly to South Africa.

The Letlhakane born star shot to fame in 2004, winning a gold medal at the Athens summer Paralympics and another gold at the Algeria All Africa Games. Reikeletseng said that Morama could not be said to have cheated when he competed as a girl because tests then proved that he was female. 'Whether the medals are taken back or not is something that will be determined by the bodies whose competitions she won,' Reikeletseng said.

Although Reikeletseng said the BNSC stood by its conviction that Morama is a girl, he said they would support her in whatever she intends to pursue.