𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In Mpumalanga, the illicit gold mining industry is worth millions. Thousands of illegal miners, better known as zama zamas, have moved into the Lowveld in a modern-day gold rush, mining abandoned and operational mines. In Sabie, they're endangering the R40-billion forestry industry, digging shafts between trees and destroying vast tracts of valuable land. But it’s not the only town that has been impacted. Pilgrim’s Rest, Barberton and Mbombela are on edge. One of the biggest concerns for communities is the so-called acid baths – rudimentary pool-sized baths filled with dangerous chemicals like cyanide and sulfuric acid which are used to separate gold from ore-bearing rock. They're built next to major rivers supplying local agriculture, and the chemicals are leaking into the groundwater. And that’s not all. Running gun battles between illegal miners and law enforcement have left many community members fearing for their lives. In this two-part special, Carte Blanche investigates the extent and the impacts of the illegal mining that has hijacked the Lowveld.