CARLETONVILLE - Illegal miners have turned an abandoned school building on the West Rand into a hostel.
And they've allegedly turned the area into a no-go zone.
It's just the latest illegal mining reign of terror to come to light.
Recently, hundreds of families fled the Sporong Informal Settlement in Randfontein due to illegal miners.
Ekuphakameni is an abandoned mining village, in ruins, on the outskirts of Carletonville.
Following the closure of the mines here, zama zamas took over in 2018.
eNCA visited the area to follow up on reports that the former primary school has been turned into a hostel and processing plant.
Those we spoke to near Ekuphakameni, off camera, told of increased organised crime, severe violence and money laundering.
In a bid to find out more about the situation at Ekuphakameni, we reached out to the provincial police.
READ: Illegal mining violence forces hundreds of Sporong families into shelter
They said they conducted operations between November and December last year, arresting 205 illegal immigrants and 33 people for possession of gold-bearing material.
Illegal mining equipment was confiscated and dismantled.
As for the old primary school, the provincial Basic Education Department says it's the responsibility of the Department of Infrastructure Development.
But the infrastructure department says the building is not on its database.
At this stage, it appears there is no proper plan to dismantle this suspected haven of criminals, leaving nearby communities fearful about what might happen next.
- eNCA's Bafedile Moerane reports.