Are calls for Chuene's head, mere pies in the sky?

Calls for Athletics South Africa's Leornard Cheune to resign after his recently revealed role in the Caster Semenya debacle, strike me as mere calls in the thicket, whose sound will echo and finally fade away into oblivion.


Athletics South Africa have thrown their weight behind their clown prince and have "unanimously" expressed their confidence in him.


His smearing of the organization's name, the country's name and above all, Caster's name seem to be of no concern to these colleagues or dare I say accomplices?


I was impressed by Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen's stern stance regarding Chuene as he urged that the man must be asked to step down. Sadly, the rest of the cabinet does not share similar sentiments and they say let him stay.


Not entirely surprising given the culture of public officials defiantly remaining in employment despite being tainted by professionally compromising scandal. There is a lengthy precedence of such cases that good old Leornard can draw strength and inspiration from: Mbeki and Manto regarding their opposition to ARV drugs fiasco, Selebi the top cop who faced criminal charges and did not voluntarily leave office, the Travelgate scandal involving parliamentarian fraud, I could go on and on.


Chuene himself has cried that he is a victim of a hate campaign similar to that of Zuma during the rape trial. He might not be aware that his comparison to JZ is true in more ways than he could have meant when making that utterance.