"Our Golden Girl": Race, Politics, and Sport in the Creation of Identity in Post-colonial Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper offers a nuanced analysis of how sport intersects with race and gender in creating identities in post-colonial Zimbabwe. It traces the biography of Zimbabwe’s most successful Olympian swimmer, Kirsty Coventry, from her success at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to her appointment as the Minister of Sport in 2018. The selective acceptance of Coventry’s whiteness against the backdrop of a general rejection of white identity in Zimbabwe points to a nuanced understanding of race. It suggests that whiteness in Zimbabwe is not inherently incompatible with national identity but is often constructed as such for political expediency. Coventry’s case reveals that the state can redefine who is considered a legitimate Zimbabwean based on contributions to national pride and the political context. This flexibility in racial identity construction highlights the dynamic nature of postcolonial identity politics in Zimbabwe. Her victories came when Zimbabwe descended into a socio-economic and political crisis after the ruling ZANU PF regime took over white-owned farmers in a move meant to redress colonial land disposition. FormerPresident Robert Mugabe’s party created a narrative of white farmers as foreigners who did not belong and whose forefathers stole land from black Africans. As a white woman, she was part of these foreigners, yet the former president called her “golden girl” and awarded her US$100,000 in cash for her performance. Through content analysis of media coverage of her success and homecoming, we highlight how success in sport separated Coventry from colonial masters portrayed in the narrative ZANU PF has created around white people. Success in sport created an identity around Coventry, which had nothing to do with her race; she became a Zimbabwean, our golden girl.