Sport and Leisure Promotion in Urban Zimbabwe: Instrument for Sustainable Development and Resilience-building

Abstract

The article discusses how sport and leisure promotion in urban Zimbabwe can provide important spaces for citizen engagement and resilience-building. Studies on urban development in Africa and, more specifically, Zimbabwe, tend to focus more on matters that are perceived as „serious‟, such as planning, housing, health, livelihoods, poverty and well-being and other challenges. Leveraging sport for development has not received adequate attention and there is a distinct lack of studies in the context of Zimbabwe. This article argues that sport and leisure promotion can be important drivers for sustainable development and resilience. It uses examples of various sporting and leisure activities to analyse contributions and opportunities provided by sport in promoting urban development and resilience. The article thus highlights how sporting and leisure-based activities in Zimbabwe can be harnessed as a means of promoting development. It proposes a sport and resilience framework that is critical to building capabilities, assets and agency of individuals and households in maintaining and quickly recovering from shock or stress. The article shows various instances in which sport and leisure can be utilised in various programmes related to health, gender equality, youth empowerment and employment creation.