Muammar Al Khadafi

South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane chartered a £20,000 private flight after rowing with officials in Norway at Gardermoen International Airport.

The cause of the row?

Officials wanted to x-ray her handbag, but Nkoana-Mashabane objected, argued, and claimed that she had diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.

Under the EU legislation which Norway is actually signed up to, only royalty and heads of state are exempted from security checks.

One might wonder if it was a principled stand or whether she had something to hide, but that's a matter for personal speculation.

Instead of submitting to having her bag x-rayed, she returned to the Hotel Grand in Oslo and arranged for a private plane to take her on to Bulgaria.

By doing so she avoided the need for her bag to be x-rayed, instead departing from the VIP terminal.

The cost to South African taxpayers was £20,100.

Later, an official from Nkoana-Mashabane's department commented on Twitter that "Africans (should not) stop demanding equal treatment and the enforcement of international laws and principles" according to the Telegraph.

Of course, the race card again, who can honestly say that they are shocked?

One thing worth noting is that, despite South Africa's apparently impoverished status which means they receive foreign aid from the UK taxpayer amounting to £19 million a year until 2015 (they received £40.6 million in 2008/09), there seems to be plenty of money for private planes for officials so that they can avoid security checks at airports.

Make of that what you will.

One of the things I was keeping my eye on besides the US contingent at the just concluded IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea is how South Africa's Caster Semenya is progressing.



While the attention was focused on Jamaica's Usain Bolt, the Jamaican 4x100 team's new 37.02 world record in the relay, and the Kenyan dominance in the distance events, Semenya was quietly running the 800m qualifying heats and advancing towards her goal of defending her IAAF 800m world title she won in Berlin back in 2009.



She was also following the advice of former South African president Nelson Mandela as well    "I was doing this for him," Semenya said. "He is a very good man and gave me good
advice."



"He said 'Just toughen up and face the world.' I have to
go visit him again now. When I get back home, I will go straight to
him."

.

The now 20 year old Semenya faced the world in the 800m final.   She sat back in the pack until she made her move and took the lead with 200m to go.  Unfortunately after she made the turn into the home stretch she was passed by Mariya Savinova of Russia who won the gold in 1:55:87.  Semenya took the silver in 1:56.35 and 2007 world champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya finished third with a time of 1:57.42.



It's the closest she's come to running the 1:55.45 time that she achieved in running that IAAF world championship race two years ago, but she's back in the neighborhood.



"I achieved what I wanted, which was to get back to the podium," Semenya
said in a post race interview. "For now, I now have to work as a professional athlete, stay
strong and be positive. It wasn't easy for me, but I had support from
family, friends and my coach."



You also have the support and prayers of a lot of folks around the world as well.   See you in London next year.