From Left to Right : MEC for Culture Sports and Recreation MEC Thandi Shongwe (In Black) with Thaba Chweu Mayor Fridah Nkadimeng, lighting candles in honor of panners that have passed on.
From a distance, one will swear panning is a very easy sport but experts say it needs one to focus, have their mind and soul on what they are looking for “Gold ” to be amongst the list of winners. A number of panners from across the country gathered at Pilgrims rest, Mpumalanga from Thursday 07 October where they were to do what they best at, panning for Gold. MEC for culture Sports and Recreation in Mpumalanga Thandi Shongwe officially opened the event, Shongwe expressed her happiness on how people take the sport serious as well as their commitment. “As a department, we are so happy in seeing a number of people gathered like this in respect of this sport.  When I first learnt about this I asked myself unto who will get in water play with clay soil and come out with gold, however, the panners made me understand and today I know exactly how they feel when panning.
It is not just any other sport, but the fight for gold amongst young and old. A number of panners across the country gathered at Pilgrims rest in doing their best, Panning for gold. @DCSROfficial @GCISMedia @GCISMpumalanga @PresidencyZA @MpumalangaGov pic.twitter.com/ROsXNPFGaj
— 🇿🇦Emsamo🗞️ (@Emsamo_News) October 11, 2021
Let me also state that seeing young children panning has also motivated me more that as a department we bring joy to everyone. However, we still need to take an awareness campaign in teaching people in Mpumalanga about gold panning so that it can grow and draw attention to many people. I believe that we are now all ready to host our World Gold Panning event in 2023. ”, she said.
Taking from his mother’s footsteps is  Tswanelo Mokopa (12) from pilgrims rest who fell in love with panning from an early age. Speaking to Emsamo News Mokopa said he fell in love with panning and was motivated by his mom’s nuggets and travelling overseas. “I used to come with my mother every year to pilgrims accompanying her with my sister and we would watch her pan. I said to myself one day I would like to pan one day, I will always see my parents pan and win and that made me even want to continue panning now and again”, he said.
A numbered of winners were awarded, the Department of Culture Sports and Recreation in Mpumalanga will officially host the World Gold Panning in 2023, at Pilgrims very own Town of Gold.
