Residents of one of Mpumalanga's most popular tourist towns say they are fearful because illegal miners are increasingly disrupting life and services in their community.
People living in Simile township in Sabie say "zama zamas", as illegal miners are colloquially known, are taking over the area through criminal activities. They also claim that illegal miners have diverted municipal services to their illicit workshops.
Residents took News24 on a tour of the township, leading to Nkanini informal settlement, which they claimed was where the zama zamas were living.
The majority of shacks in the informal settlement are made of wood. As it happens, forestry is one of the largest industries in Sabie.
Residents claim the illegal miners conduct some of their activities inside their shacks and at a nearby stream.
Inside some of the wooden structures, News24 saw equipment, including phendukas, a tool used to grind ore and other minerals.
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