The Namibian government has reserved the Onkoshi gold occurrence in the Kunene Region, effectively withdrawing the area from all prospecting and mining activities.
The decision, taken during Cabinet meetings held on 24 and 31 March 2026, was confirmed by Information and Communication Technology Minister and government spokesperson Emma Theofelus during a briefing on 9 April.
“Cabinet endorsed the reservation of the Onkoshi gold occurrence in the Kunene Region from prospecting and mining operations in terms of Section 122(1) of the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act, Act No. 33 of 1992, subject to consultation and concurrence of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism,” she said.
Cabinet has authorised the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy to publish a notice in the Government Gazette formalising the withdrawal of the area from mining activities.
The government has also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to increase monitoring of the site.
“Cabinet directed that officials at the welfare gate continuously patrol and monitor the area to discourage and deter illegal prospecting and mining activities,” Theofelus said.
The move forms part of government efforts to safeguard strategic mineral resources for national interest and long-term economic planning, while balancing resource development with environmental protection and security considerations.
The Onkoshi site forms part of Antler Gold’s broader Onkoshi Gold Project and is located on EPL-8991, adjacent to EPL-7464. The area hosts a circular magnetic structure of about six kilometres in diameter associated with granite intrusions of the Salem Igneous Suite.
The project lies approximately 30 kilometres from the historic Erindi and Vredelus gold prospects and has been identified as a target for intrusion-related gold mineralisation.
Antler Gold has indicated that the area could host mineralisation in sheeted vein systems and disseminated structures within carbonaceous rocks. The company is currently pursuing an Environmental Clearance Certificate, alongside early-stage exploration work, including geophysical interpretation, mapping and sampling.
The target is considered geologically comparable to the Kokoseb gold discovery, with favourable conditions for the occurrence of precious and associated metals.
