Nkosana Sibuyi

Posted by Nkosana: 29 December 2009

Humankind does not stop to amaze us! Hardly a few hours after Caster Semenya, the gold medalist in the women's 800 meters at the Berlin World Championships emerged victoriously at Germany, the spectre of doubt and aspersions reared their ugly heads thus raising questions about her gender.

Notably, this matter was swallowed hook, line and sinker from the discourse and this complex phenomenon was reduced to superficial and illiberal representations. To a greater degree, the discourse changed the international psyche, mood and perceptions about South Africa and the world was forced to change like a chimera. At the best of times, trying to understand this debate tended to be complex and thus foreclose new possibilities to express and advance values and principles that South Africans hold dear as enshrined in the Constitution of the country.

As the debate evolved, this has provided a platform for centrifugal tendencies. Equally fundamental, the conclusion is compelling that there are fundamental lessons that we could learn from this development. A vital ingredient in the construction of democracy is respect for dignity, integrity and credibility of who we became and how we became on a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.

Professor Njabulo noted in the essay, Redefining Relevance from the book, Rediscovery of the Ordinary, that we need to appreciate that “a vast new world is opening up, for the possible answers to the questions are as infinite as the immensity of the questions themselves.”

The solution to our discontents is an acknowledgment and respect for the values enshrined in the Preamble of the South African constitution that enjoins us to “improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations”.

Beyond an appreciation of what is inherent in the Constitution, there are defining lessons that we can draw from this human experience. First, it calls upon humankind to recognise the complexity of the anatomy of life. Accordingly, values and principles that underpin human achievement should not only be analysed from the debasing influence of idiocy, but, to an extraordinary degree should be embraced as a reflection of the defining tasks that posses true virtue and talent.

The second lesson to be derived from this experience is the appreciation, recognition and acknowledgement of African excellence. At the beginning is a dream, orientation to fulfill the dream followed by action and commitment. This experience should be accompanied by the fruits of perseverance, diligence, firmness and dedication. However, the spirit of voluntary and selfless service has to be nurtured and encouraged and a battle waged to redefine the meaning of self fulfillment and achievement versus instant gratification and conspicuous consumption.

The third lesson that humankind needs to internalise and embrace is that Caster Semenya is a human being. She is the voice that needs to be understood. Listening to her and what she has had to contend with constitute an ineffable comprehension of the anatomy of human life. It does not need humankind to draw a line in the sand in the process to assist us to fathom the contradictions that she has had to contend with. Complex as her story may seem, it is her story too!

A national and international discourse on inter-sexuality and hermaphrodites dominated the agenda in a manner that did not assist us to appreciate who we are, who we become and who seek to be in an increasingly changing world. Some, who have a false sense of importance, abrogated to themselves the responsibility to define integrity in public life. The nature of the debates, in some instances, had gone beyond the standards of decency and organic reflections. Debates need a basic decorum of civility which is not susceptible to manipulation.

The fourth lesson inherent in human progress and challenges is that every problem has a solution. There is no problem without a solution. To all intents and purposes, challenges and problems do play themselves out not only in a manner beyond pale. Proceeding from the context that the future is long, we need to appreciate that dwelling on cosmetics overemphasizes the form rather than the substance. In essence, it will not shape the character of the understanding of who we are and become in a highly contested world. Humankind is uniquely positioned to go back to basics, return to normalcy and lead a normal life to free the potential of each person. As the Financial Mail editorial of 18 December 2009 noted, answers lie not in ideology but in common sense and hard work.

The last lesson that we could learn from this experience is the transformation of the fabric of humankind’s life. Perhaps the dominant ethic and nature of the debate, should not have been whether Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite, intersex or whether such condition exists in Sepedi culture or not. Expressed dialectically, this analogy reflects the paradox between of abstract ideas and concrete expressions, each with a potential to hegemonise or weaken the potency of the other.

Undoubtedly, the matter of Caster Semenya and how it was handled in the world polity offers us an opportunity to enlarge our understanding on the transformation of the fabric of humankind’s life. It offers us an opportunity to expand the possibilities of our imagination, profound philosophical transformation and deepening of our insight of a society at peace with itself. We need to embark upon a fundamental re-evaluation of human activity, who we are, how we become and the road that ought to be travelled in the enlargement of our interest, consciousness and orientation. The future is long!