ADDRESS BY PREMIER TSP MAKWETLA AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE
NATIONAL GOLDPANNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pilgrim's Rest, Thursday 23 September 2004
Good evening, Programme Director
Provincial Culture, Sports and Recreation MEC Madala Masuku
Mayor of the Thaba Chweu His Worship Councillor Moshe Mashego
Councillors present here today
Leaders and members of the business community
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am delighted to be in Pilgrim's Rest this evening to open the South African National Gold Panning Championships. This occasion gives us a chance to welcome our visitors from Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Slovakia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Italy and Finland, to what is arguably the most scenic part of our country and province.
The championships we launch here today are more than a sports or recreational competition. They offer a unique chance for a heritage activity to be utilised in a sustainable way to the benefit of Mpumalanga and the country as a whole.
It was on these very plains that men and women descended from all parts of the country and the world in search of that elusive alluvial gold nugget.
It was in the process of that gold rush that a truly vibrant and multicultural society was created. Today the scenic town of Pilgrim's Rest offers us with a fascinating window into the life and times of those adventurous hardy men and women who became the pioneers of the largest gold mining industry in the world.
You will remember that in 1873 Pilgrim's Rest was declared a gold field, soon after digger Alec "Wheelbarrow" Patterson had found gold deposits in Pilgrim's Creek. The Valley proved to be rich in gold and by the end of the year, there where about 1 500 diggers working in the area.
Panning for gold, they will tell you, was really a tedious and back-breaking way of getting rich. A goldhunter would scoop up as much rock and soil as he could out of the river, dump it in the pan, and start shaking the pan back and forth. Then he was supposed to use the force of the water to clear out the top layer of rocks by tilting the pan at an angle. In most cases the exercise would be a complete failure and no wonder some soon look for other ways of making money.
For almost a century Pilgrim's Rest became a social center of the diggings. Mining was active until 1971 when Beta Mine was closed down, but Pilgrim's Rest remains one of the jewels of Mpumalanga and has the strength to be developed as a tourist attraction. The unique and exciting event of Gold Panning is fast becoming a flagship event in Pilgrim's Rest. But still to many people this is a strange and unheard of event.
Today we have again attracted gold-hunters, but for a somewhat different form of goldpanning. Today we have dredges, power sluices, regular sluice boxes, detectors, gold pans, wet suits and so forth. But the goal still remains trying to find that yellow stuff.
Whereas in the past gold-hunters were male and white, today gold panning is suitable for all races, genders and ages and is not expensive to get into. Very little equipment is needed and no special physical attributes are required other than enthusiasm and passion. Although gold panning is not as glamorous as major national events it has the potential to capture the attention and imagination of the nation.
More people can be involved and can benefit from the preservation,
conservation and promotion of this heritage through tourism. The event caters
for the young and old, men and women, the disabled, the fat and the thin, the
fit and the not so fit.
This kind of event allows enough opportunity for us to learn about each other
and appreciate each other. Social cohesion of this nature allows us as different
communities, coming from different backgrounds, to share ideas and expertise in
our quest for unity in our diversity in our beautiful country.
I am told that Gold Panning in South Africa started many years ago. But the highlight of our efforts came in 2001 championships in Australia where our team secured the bid to host the 2005 World Gold Panning Championships in South Africa. The 2005 World Gold Panning Championships will be held from 18 to 25 September 2005 at Pilgrim's Rest. Not only is this a first for South Africa but a first for Africa.
Allow me to take this opportunity to express my congratulations to you all for the work you have done in securing the bid to come to South Africa and Mpumalanga in particular.
Next year when we host the World Championships we must ensure that we make 2005 the biggest and best championships to date. I am aware that this is not the Soccer World Cup nor is it the Olympics, but we must ensure that we put on a show that will serve as a benchmark for future events. We must serve as ambassadors for the rest of the continent. The message must be clear: "Africa's time is now!"
Our thanks are due to the organisers of this tournament and they can be as confident as we are that Mpumalanga will fully utilise the opportunity created in this way.
Finally may all the participants have another wonderful experience in
Pilgrims Rest. Over the next two days, you will test your minds, bodies and
spirits against your fellow gold-hunters and against yourselves, reaching new
heights of achievement. Some of you will leave Pilgrim's Rest with a medal, but
all of you will leave Mpumalanga as champions. We wish all of you all the
success. But remember, even if you don't win - which is very unlikely - the
essence of the championships is to enjoy. So go out there and enjoy yourself.
I now have pleasure in declaring the 2003 National Gold panning
Championships officially open.
I thank you.