President Jacob Zuma came to the defence of athlete Caster Semenya on Friday, saying the media had invaded her privacy.

"We have a girl who has performed and won. I don't think we should play with people's lives and privacy," he said.

"Why should we not respect the privilege between doctor and patient?"

"I think we are faced with an unfortunate situation in this country where we claim to respect privacy and the rights of people, but then we do something that moves against those principles and values."

He was speaking at a press conference in Kleinmond after meeting with leaders of the European Union.