Here is the part about what an associate is, and I am not sure how it relates to the ban on non-citizens from being granted mining licenses. Are you saying that you can be an "associate" of a licensed party, and mine legally? Where is the word "associate" used in the regulations?
111. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,
“associate” in relation to a person entitled to exercise or control the exercise of voting power in relation to, or holding shares in, a company means,
(a) the wife or husband or son or daughter of that person and for this purpose “son” includes stepson, and “daughter” includes stepdaughter;
(b) the trustees of any settlement including a disposition or arrangement under which property is held in trust under which that person has a life interest in possession;
(c) a company of which that person is director;
(d) a person who is an employee or partner of that person;
(e) if that person is a company;
(i) a director of that company;
(ii) a subsidiary or holding company of that company
(iii) a director or employee of the subsidiary or holding company of that company; and
(f) that person has with some other person, an agreement or arrangement with respect to the acquisition, holding or disposal of shares or other interests in that undertaking or body corporate or under which they undertake to act together in exercise of their voting power in relation to it, that other person;
