Civic society as stakeholder in the delivery of sport for development within the South African community - Mamelodi East

M.Phil. (Sport Management)Abstract: This research emanates a call from scholars for innovative research within the field of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) to provide holistic, empirical evidence pertaining to youth safety in relation to safe spaces, particularly within the South African context. The study draws on case study methodology of four South African primary schools, two faith based organisations and decision makers and representatives from physical activity (PA) programmes. A multiple-method research design allowed for a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that used interviews (n=18), focus groups (n=15), questionnaires (n=202) further triangulated with community mapping (n=50) to limit participant bias. Research participants were purposively recruited, following a snowball technique to ensure that key stakeholders within civic society, the community and participants from the P.A programmes were targeted. Data was triangulated and the findings produced a compliance scorecard, which can be used to measure the extent to which a space is safe and activity supportive. This research may open up many opportunities for multi stakeholder agents to implement programs where the gaps have been identified. By determining the areas in which such agents work, civil society may also have a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities from a lived reality, as identified by the community. It can also enhance the quality of SDP implementing social structures by providing Government, civil society and communities with a visual representation of where multi stakeholder agents in SDP present themselves within the context of safety