BAPONG - Three illegal miners were arrested in Bapong, after police seized 10 excavators and other mining equipment.
Residents allege that armed men have been intimidating them.
They are living in constant fear, knowing their homes could be claimed by sinkholes at any moment.
They are demanding urgent action.
"I don't really have much to say but to ask the government to move us from here, because there's clearly no solution to this."
Recently, pictures of heavily-armed Zama Zamas roaming the area went viral forcing police in the area to respond.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Ryno Naidoo said such social media posts have a dampening effect on the community, creating this fear.
"We are going to the festive season where people are returning home with the perception that there's lawlessness," Naidoo says.
Officials are worried about the scale of the illegal mining, which could be linked to syndicates due to the amount of investment involved
eNCA's Theodor Mashele filed this report.