The provision of sports facilities and the management of sports participation in Mangaung, 1945-1990

Abstract

The backlog in the provision of sport facilities for Mangaung dated back to as early as 1890 when the City Council of Bloemfontein first revealed its unsympathetic and unhelpful attitude towards requests by the residents for sports facilities. The residents soon realized, in the absence of any official policy declarations or legislation, that they were solely responsible for the financing of their sports facilities and the management thereof - a situation that only eased somewhat after the promulgation of the Natives (Urban Areas) Legislation of 1923 and 1945, compelling local authorities to meet their sport obligations towards the black residents under their control.