Athletics:South Africa's athletics chief Leonard Chuene has been dismissed after being found guilty of financial corruption and mishandling the gender case of world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya.
Chuene has also been banned from holding any position in sport for seven years by the country’s Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). In all, Chuene was guilty on nine out of 11 charges brought against him.
Chuene has previously admitted to lying about tests conducted on Semenya, who spent almost a year on the sidelines after she was suspended by the IAAF in the wake of the gender controversy which blew up following her 2009 World Championship win.
Chuene’s former Athletics South Africa (ASA) colleagues, vice-president Kakata Maponyane and executive member Simon Dlamini, were banned for five and three years respectively.
A SASCOC statement read: “Suspended Athletics South Africa chairman Mr Leonard Chuene and board members Mr Kakata Mopanyane and Dr Simon Dlamini have all been removed from their posts with immediate effect.”
The trio had until yesterday to appeal the findings, which were only made public earlier this week, 15 months after they were first suspended.
All three men ignored the deadline.
The statement continued: “Following Chuene, Mopanyane and Dlamini’s failure to appear before the disciplinary panel at Olympic House on Thursday, 17 February, Advocate Norman Arendse handed down the following sanctions in their absence. Advocate Arendse ruled that Messrs Chuene, Maponyane and Dlamini be immediately removed from the ASA Board and Council and that their positions be declared vacant.
“Furthermore Mr Chuene is barred from holding any position in Athletics or any other code of sport under the jurisdiction of SASCOC for a period of seven years with effect from 17 February, 2011.”
The trio’s legal representatives, Mncedisi Ndlovu and Sedumedi Attorneys, have previously vowed to file for a review of the entire case in the country’s
courts, and that is believed to be behind the decision not to appeal.
SASCOC’s verdict added that Chuene would have to repay all misappropriated funds, cover all legal costs, and show considerable remorse if he were to have any chance of returning to the sport inside the period of the seven-year ban.