‘Arrest foreign gold miners’
He said in an interview yesterday that it was not possible for security personnel to be present at all gold sites because the areas were vast and there was need therefore for communities to take the responsibility of protecting the resource.
Mr Mulenga said gold was a strategic resource which needed to be mined in a well-structured manner for the country.
He was reacting to continued illegal mining which has reportedly escalated in Rufunsa and other gold sites in the country.
Foreign nationals that include Chinese, Tanzanians and Ugandans have flooded many gold sites illegally exploiting the resource at will.
But Mr Mulenga said activities by foreigners was a sad development which must be stopped by security wings and hosting communities.
"We actually appreciate the whistleblowers when they see illegal activities being done then they report to relevant authorities. The security wings can only be alerted about what is happening in certain areas by the communities.
“But the position still remains that our security wings are actually helping us to curb the illegalities on the ground. Like I said this country is very big and you find that the area where gold is it is completely a bush and this is where these people want to do illegal activities.
"So it is important security wings are alerted so that we can protect our resource which is a game changer of our economy," Mr Mulenga said.