Sport, Space and Segregation: Politics and Society in Pietermaritzburg

This is a story of insiders and outsiders. Author Christopher Merrett uses physical recreation as a lens through which to view the political, social, economic, and cultural history of the South African city of Pietermaritzburg. He traces successive ideologies of imperialism, colonial segregation, and apartheid to show how sport was used to keep communities apart. Sport in Pietermaritzburg was 'white sport.' After the imposition of legislation, access to recreation facilities became a powerful cause for the city's anti-apartheid coalition. Sport provided an opportunity, one of the few in a police state, for meaningful protest. Sport, Space and Segregation provides an insight into the psychology of racism.