What can a Game of Football in a Public Open Space tell Us about Our Socio-Economic and Political Condition? A Case of the City of Tshwane, South Africa

Abstract

This article focuses on sport and recreational activities, particularly football, in public open spaces in the City of Tshwane, South Africa. Using conflict theory, the article explores the different ways in which sport and recreation represent individual and collective conflicts regarding the appropriation, perceptions, and experiences of urban public open spaces. Phenomenological qualitative research design was used to explore two case studies (parks) in the City of Tshwane. The research findings suggest that the conflicts due to sport and recreational activities in urban public open space can be conceptualized as reflections of struggles for equitable state resources, subtle resistance and structural power dynamics. In addition, the article finds that sport and recreation in public open space are representations of memory, cultural identity, transforming values and transforming spaces – all associated with the country's history.