Abstract

NGIDI, Mphumeleli. Inter-race soccer and the 1960 riots in Durban, South Africa. Historia [online]. 2014, vol.59, n.2, pp.326-343. ISSN 2309-8392.

The 1950s were witness to experiments in "inter-race" soccer⁸⁶ because racially-based African, Indian, and Coloured teams played against each other at provincial and national levels. Sports officials felt that this was a positive development as teams were breaking racial barriers. However, as the decade wore on and the Defiance Campaign of 1952 and the Treason Trial (1956-1961) heightened political consciousness, sports officials and many activists came to believe that racialised teams were anomalous and were in fact exacerbating race consciousness. The fears of critics of inter-race soccer matches materialised when riots broke out at a soccer match between the South African Indian XI and the South African Africans XI at Curries Fountain, Durban, on 31 July 1960. These riots took on racial overtones. This article discusses the inauguration of inter-race tournaments, the riots themselves, and the aftermath of the riots. A key argument is that the riots played an important role in bringing about non-racial football in South Africa in the 1960s.

Keywords : Sport and politics; inter-race football; July 1960 riots; non-racial football; South African Football Association (SAFA).

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