Zambia’s Baluba copper mine prepares to re-open

LUSAKA – Zambia’s Luanshya Copper Mine (LCM) has re-employed more than 500 workers for the re-opening of Baluba copper mine, which closed last December due to losses caused by low global metals prices, an official said yesterday.

LCM was initially earmarked to resume production in May but management said operations would start in six months after the mine was re-developed.’The 547 workers who have been re-employed include technical staff doing assessment for rehabilitation of the plant and others from mining who have to make sure that the mine is safe for re-entry by other miners,’ Stanslous Mwimbe, Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) Roan branch chairman, told Reuters.Zambia in May announced the sale of 85 per cent of LCM to China Nonferrous Metals Mining, commonly known as NFC Africa. LCM had been temporarily closed as it struggled to make money due to lower metal prices.’We are holding discussions with the new management at LCM and more workers are likely to be re-engaged after we sign a recognition agreement,’ Mwimbe said.Zambia’s Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said last week that LCM requires a cash injection of US$65 million dollars for full smelting, production of copper concentrates and cobalt.Musokotwane said that LCM would employ more than 3 000 people when fully operational over a three-year period with the launch of the Mulyashi operation, which has yet to be developed.LCM shut down the Baluba copper mine and abandoned the development of the 60 000 tons per year Mulyashi project last December. – Nampa-Reuters