Nation building at play: sport as a tool for social integration in post-apartheid South Africa

In: Sport, culture & society 4

Abstract

Archbishop Desmond Tutu states that this work shows us another road to a future of equality and democracy for all South Africans, a road not filled with the hurt of our long discussions that carry us into the night, but equally important in its capacity to heal. It maintains that through properly organized sport we can learn to play together with respect and with laughter, we can learn to be all on the same team, and in the process, we can contribute to building a new South Africa that is a just nation for all. Its conclusion - and its commitment - is as clear as it is strong. Sport does have a meaningful and powerful role to play in the social transformation of South African society if care is taken to provide the necessary conditions for success. It offers us those conditions and at the conclusion some carefully thought out recommendations for providing a level playing field for all our futures. [...]