Land at the Kunene region village of Okoutjete has been put under the protection of the police to deter any illegal mining activities.

A directive on this follows on a Cabinet decision announced on Thursday.

The village is located in a rural part of the Kunene region, which is characterised by arid, mountainous terrain and communal farming, and features active land investment opportunities.

"Cabinet authorised the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy to publish a notice in the Government Gazette to withdraw the specified area from prospecting and mining activities and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to instruct officials at the Werda Gate to continuously patrol and monitor the area to discourage and deter illegal prospecting and mining activities," said Cabinet spokesperson Emma Theofelus in an announcement of Cabinet decisions taken on 24 and 31 March.

This comes after the Cabinet endorsed the reservation of the Okoutjete gold occurrence in the Kunene region from prospecting and mining operations.

The endorsement, Theofelus said, is in terms of section 122(1) of the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act of 1992, subject to consultation with and the concurrence of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.