Gold rush underway at Pilgrims Rest

The 2015 National Gold Panning Championships kicked off in Pilgrims Rest on Wednesday.

Activities got  underway with a street parade and opening ceremony.

The championships is being hosted by the Mpuamalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR).

The MEC for DCSR, Ms Norah Mahlangu-Mabena, delivered the keynote address to get the ball rolling.

The national tournament drew gold panners from all over the country.

The finals is scheduled for today. Keep an eye on the print edition of Lowvelder this week for the results.

Mpumalanga’s gold draws panners from all over the country, October 5 2015

When Mpumalanga is afforded the opportunity to host the national gold panner’s championship, what better place to do it than the quaint historic town of Pilgrims Rest?

The 2015 National Gold Panning Championships are to kick off in Pilgrims Rest on Wednesday.

Hosted by the Mpuamalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DSCR), this year activities will get underway with a Street Parade and Opening Ceremony at Uptown at 17:00.

The popular Street Parade draws a large number of participants in singing and dancing.

The following day will see hundreds of gold panners take to the panning dams to fight for supremacy and a chance to earn national colours.

• Read all about the World Gold Panning Championships, held in Navelgas, Spain, in August here.

Gold panning is a sport steeped in history and tradition.

Panners receive a pan and a bucket of sand in which a number of gold nuggets are hidden. Participants must retrieve the nuggets. The person who finds the most in the shortest time is the winner.

• Read more about Pilgrims Rest here. 

The finals are scheduled for Saturday.

“The National Gold Panning Championships are one of the biggest events in Mpumalanga and play a huge role in the economic growth of Pilgrim’s Rest as well as bringing people together, “ says DSCR spokesman, Ms Sibongile Nkosi.