Sport minister Tokozile Xasa says her department is to launch an awareness campaign around Caster Semenya's looming court battle to be allowed to compete unconditionally.
At the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) council meeting yesterday Xasa said the campaign had already started on a small scale, adding she wanted it to grow and culminate with a picket at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Semenya is challenging regulations governing female athletes with hyperandrogenism that the IAAF, the world governing body for track and field, wants to implement.
The new rules would require Semenya to lower her naturally occurring high levels of testosterone to compete in events from 400m to the mile, the very events she competes in.
But there are no restrictions on athletes competing in the 100m and 200m sprints, or in the 3,000m and up.
"We feel it is hindering human rights, not just for Caster but for all girls," said Xasa.
"It is not applicable to all girls in all codes, they're singling out those events she [Semenya] has been doing well in."
Xasa said the campaign team was also looking into the health effects of the medication the IAAF would want Semenya to take to lower her testosterone.
"Who knows what would be the effects of that?"..