PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is today expected to re-open the Munali Nickel Mine, which was closed last year as a result of the global financial crisis, which led to the collapse of metal prices on the foreign market.

Special assistant to the President for Press and public relations, Dickson Jere said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday the president would travel to Mazabuka, Southern Province re-open the mine which had been acquired by a Chinese firm, Jinchuan Mining Group.

Mr Jere said the re-opening of the mine was expected to employ more than 350 workers and the Chinese company had invested about US$37 million in Albidon Zambia Limited, the owners of the Munali Nickel Mine.

"President Banda had promised, in his address to Parliament in September last year, that he will do everything possible to find an investor to re-open the closed mine so that more jobs can be created in the country," Mr Jere said.

Mr Jere said the re-opening of the Munali Nickel Mine was yet another success by President Banda's Government in delivering on the promise.

Munali Nickel Mine is the second mine to re-open as a result of the Government efforts to safeguard jobs in the mining sector despite the global financial crisis.

He said last year, Luanshya Copper Mine, which was also closed at the peak of the global financial crisis, resumed operations after it was acquired by a Chinese company China Non-Ferrous Company Group (CNMC).

Mr Jere said CNMC had now created more than 3,150 in Luanshya.

Mr Jere said the country had witnessed the re-opening of key mining projects such as the Chambishi Copper Smelter in the Copperbelt Province, which created more than 600 jobs.

He said Lumwana Mining Company in North Western Province commenced production with more than 3, 600 jobs created.