ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by demonstrating how socialist ideologies influenced the planning, resourcing and deployment of Zambia’s social welfare system soon after British colonialism. The chapter focuses on the legacy of social welfarist policies in relation to community sport provision. As a corporatist state, the Zambia centralized economy and 27 years of authoritarian rule left deep-seated practices that were indifferent to the involvement of non-state actors in delivering public services. A return to political pluralism introduced neoliberal economic policies in 1991. The chapter argues that the pace and nature of the liberalization processes in Zambia destabilized community sport provision, particularly that delivered under state-owned corporations (SOCs) and local governments. The demise of sport and leisure activities under local government funded community welfare halls and SOCs welfare centres paved a way for actors other than the state. A rampant mushrooming of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating as community-based organizations (CBOs) emerged to deliver sport. However, we argue that these CBOs have failed to match the geographic reach and structured provision under the corporatist state. We further argue that the current new approaches between the state and these non-state actors may be very beneficial for community sport.
