The Olympic governing body suspended Athletics South Africa (ASA), their president Leonard Chuene, their board and a few staff members on Thursday for their part in the handling of Caster Semenya at the athletics world championships in Berlin.

But ASA are only prepared to recognise the suspension of their organisation, not that of its leadership and staff. Sascoc has excluded ASA from the Olympic movement.

With the ramifications of the ban likely to affect athletes more than ASA, the spat has moved on to the IAAF's court as Sascoc seek to resolve what to do with the athletes.

"They've tentatively given us the 15th or the 16th of this month as the dates on which we can talk to them," said Sascoc president Gideon Sam. "Our discussions will be more about the fate of the athletes."

Sam also said that Sascoc would take the opportunity to address the IAAF's role in handling Semenya as indicated in the press release announcing ASA's suspension.

ASA spokesman Chris Britz's explanation of their partial recognition of the suspension was: "They can suspend us as Sascoc members, but our leadership can only be suspended through the ASA constitution.

"For that you need a special meeting where the 17 provinces of ASA have to put forward a vote of no confidence."

News of the suspension prompted revelations of further alleged bumbling in Berlin by ASA from athletes and coaches this week.

Sprints coach Magda Botha, who said she was "really grateful" for Sascoc's intervention, painted a picture of a management team way out of its depth, particularly chef de missionPhiwe Mlangeni, team manager Hendrik Mokganyetsi and assistant team manager Humile Bogatsu.

Botha said by dint of being the head of delegation, Mlangeni - who cut her teeth at ASA as a communications manager - felt entitled to tell experienced coaches how to do their jobs.

"She felt she had to use the power given to her by getting all of us to do things her way despite her not having experience in coaching," said Botha. "She was adamant that I had to change the training programmes for the 100m and even had a big fight with our head coach, Dr Ekkart Arbeit."

Mokganyetsi, a Sydney Olympics 400m finalist, also came in for criticism from Botha for having an aggressive attitude: "I was labelled 'the white coach' and he removed me from coaching the 4x400m relay team and replaced me with Eugene Thipe.

"But Eugene then asked me to explain to him where the changeovers started and ended in the relay."

One such show of power ended up with the 4x100m team down to just three athletes.

"Wilhelm van der Vyfer asked to go home during the world champs so he could write exams," explained Botha. "He was told he could go but he could not come back, leaving us with three athletes. Up until a day before the relays we trained with three athletes, until (injured 400m hurdler) LJ van Zyl volunteered to help us.

"Not one of the management team made an attempt to find an athlete for the relay."

Botha questioned why Bogatsu was allowed to return to Berlin after leaving to write exams as well.

Race walker Nicolene Cronje accused Chuene of sweeping under the carpet an incident in which she claims the general manager, Molatelo Malehopo, slapped her at the World Junior Championships in 2002.

"He said to me if it came up my career as an athlete was over," she said.

Asked if that was true, Chuene said he had no recollection of the discussion as it was seven years ago.

"Why is this only coming up after seven years?" he asked. Cronje replied: "What was I supposed to do? I was 19 and had my future ahead of me."

Britz came out in defence of the management: "If you look at the team performance, they performed well.

"We finished ninth and if our management was so bad it would have reflected on the team performance. Those with complaints should approach the ASA board."