BAPONG - North West royals say they have nothing to do with the illegal mining in Bapong.
The mineral-rich area has been dug up by zama zamas searching for chrome and other metals.
Some local residents accuse the Bapo Ba Mogale royal family of working with the illegal miners.
The illegal mining operations have left Bapong in ruins.
READ: Police flood Bapong as illegal mining crackdown intensifies
Nearly the entire neighbourhood is excavated, with many houses on the brink of collapse.
And while residents fearfully push back against dangerous zama zamas, police have few answers for how the problem was allowed to fester this badly.
Police have deployed more resources to shut down illegal mining.
But the intervention may be a little too late for many residents here.
- eNCA's Bafedile Moerane reports.