Section 101, The Mines and Minerals Act, 2009

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a small-scale mining licenceshall be valid for a period not exceeding three years and may be renewed for further periods not exceeding three years at a time. (2) A small-scale mining licence shall not be renewed pursuant to subsection (1)– (a) if, in the case where the licence area at the time the licence was issued was an area declared for small-scale mining operations, the small-scale mining licence area has ceased to be an area declared for small-scale mining (b) in respect of any mineral which has ceased to be a mineral prescribed for small-scale mining operations; (c) unless the Director is satisfied that the applicant has carried on, in good faith, within the limits of its competence and resources, mining operations in the mining area and intends to continue doing so; (d) if the applicant has not carried out effective rehabilitation and reclamation of the applicant’s mined out areas to the satisfaction of the Director and authorities responsible for the protection of the environment or paid the prescribed fee; (e) if the applicant has not reported as prescribed on the mining operations; or (f) if the applicant is in default and the Director is not prepared to waive the default.