In search of gold

Thursday 18th September

Sudwala Lodge, Mpumalanga

Post Office, Pilgrim's Rest

The irony was not lost that on the day of the referendum we should find ourselves in an old gold mining town founded by Scots trying to make themselves more prosperous.

Pilgrim's Rest was founded by a Scotsman who struck gold in the area in the late 1800s and it has been preserved as a heritage village by the government since 1984.  In fact, the whole area is known as "Mac Mac" after the succession of Scots who arrived here believing they would be better off here than in the UK.  Some were successful, others not.

It saddens me that so much of the debate around the referendum - on both sides - has been about how much money will be in our pockets.  There have been few arguments of substance or even ideology, and staking the future of our nation (either way) on the hope of striking gold seems as bizarre as the hopes of these prospectors of old.

Village Store, Pilgrim's Rest

As I write, polls will have closed and Scotland's fate lies ready to be counted.  There has been a reasonable amount of media interest here, so hopefully we should be able to find out the result tomorrow.

My personal hope is that Scotland will take this opportunity to affirm its place within the United Kingdom, but that the vision for a fairer society and huge political revival generated by the 'yes' campaign can be harnessed and used to work for social justice across the whole of our islands.

While South Africa bears the scars of its British colonial past, its modern form also stands as testament to what can be achieved when diverse people with different values and different political ideals can unite and work together.

Whatever the result of today's poll, it will leave me no less Scottish and no less British... and no more likely to strike gold either.