SEPARABILITY AND INSEPARABILITY OF SPORT AND POLITICS: THE REALITY IN AFRICA TODAY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Interference is an act of coming in or hindering by a powerful body when either an unacceptable or acceptable situation is prevailing. The power dynamics stand to dominate the trajectory of the development for the benefit of those with power. Politics has been regarded as an external force that should not interfere with sport activities. Sociologists in Eshuys, Guest and Lawrence,(1987), Rowe (1995) in Amusa et al (2005), argue that the relationship between sport and orthodox politics is marked by a contradiction between denial of politics in sport and political mobilization of sport. Further to that, there is an existing and unresolved controversy between governments and sport administrators, many argue that politics has no place in sport and some say it is impossible to separate politics and sport.The constructive or positive use of sport in politics began with the ancient Greeks. Leading athletes were paid the equivalent of thousands of dollars to enhance the prestige of their city -states. In Rome, according to Davis, Kimmet and Auty (1986), political groups used charioteers to para de their political causes. During the Middle Ages, both in East and West, jousting and other ritualized sports tested the administrative strengths and loyalties of court retainers. Nineteenth century has seen sports and games used to encourage desirable social characteristics.The two, politics and sport seemed to cordially work together for the good of each other but a wave of change was precipitated by the Black September's Fedayeen smash into the Olympic Village by terrorists in 1972, (Davis et al, 1986). So the Munich massacre marked a paradigm shift that saw sport authorities agitating for the separation of sport and politics, as states wanted to take advantage of sport to settle their political misunderstandings. The competitive power with sport has been singled out by nations as a fertile ground and opportunity to demonstrate expression of political grievances. Nations have joined international sport bodies not for show-casing sport excellence only, but even for advancing political mirages. Consequen tly, sport has suffered and also benefited at times. However, sport sociologists have remained adamant that political interference is detrimental to sport development. Therefore, this study is motivated by this argument, thereby, elaborating the connectedness between sport and politics today, the bad side of political interference into sport and the way forward.Individual athletes have their careers been shuttered if their nations have been banned from participating in international sport events. For instance, the controversy over South African-born Zola Budd (Eshuys et al 1987:127) and whether she should have been issued with a British passport in order for her to compete for Great Britain, the Russian military presence in Afghanistan was protested by Brit ain and USA by asking sportsmen and women not to take part in Moscow in 1980, thus, sport became a weapon of foreign policy. Developing nations suffered economic under development once they are excluded from sport competitions globally, for example, South Africa during its apartheid rule until 1994. Sport could be used as a tool to bring political independence, development and fair practice of human rights by states to their people that is the goodness of the interference, but could be used by those privil eged to power to advance their minority supremacy, that is the worst side of it. With that note, this study aims to draw the reality on the ground, that is, the relationship between sport and politics and the way forward.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:Political interference finds expression in sport today as politicians demand appearance and their visibility during sport events. Sport authorities find themselves at cross -roads whether to avoid politicians during sport development in order to abide by sociological perspective or to include them for the development and success of sport, that leaves out an unanswered question, Is sport and politics mixable? …