Book 20- Streets Paved with Gold

The first diamonds discovered in South Africa in the nineteenth century were found in the Northern Cape in a gravel layer a few feet below the present day surface. The gems were widely scattered and generally not economically viable to exploit. Rather, informal diggers, farmers and ordinary people tried their luck in their back yards. Some became rich, most people did not. Evidently, the diamonds were brought there from somewhere else by ancient rivers. Late during the century, the origin of the diamonds was found to be volcanic pipes arising from deep in the earth. This occasioned the famous Kimberley diamond rush. In the early years of the twentieth century, a German adventurer reasoned that the great Orange River might also have carried diamonds down to the coast from the Kimberley volcanic pipes. Rather like separating wheat and chaff, the action of waves and tides might have concentrated the diamonds on the beaches. This proved to be an inspired piece of detective work. This story is very loosely based on his discovery.
The second story is about a runner called Kagiso. A poor country boy runs to school every day. His family cannot afford the bus fare. However, he loves running and has the right physique for running long distances. His dream is to compete in the oldest ultra-marathon in the country; a one hundred kilometer race from the Lowveld to the Highveld in the Eastern Transvaal. The first gold discoveries in the country were made here. However, the pockets of gold were small and were soon exhausted. The race commemorates these discoveries. The road race traverses the original track pioneered by the early gold prospectors and miners. There is, however, one problem for Kagiso. According to the laws of the land at that time, he is not permitted to enter the race because of his skin colour.