By DAVID KANDUZA –

THE Copperbelt Museum has said the bill of quantities for use in the periodic valuation of a multi-billion Kwacha science and technology museum will be submitted by the ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications in the next two weeks.
Copperbelt Museum director Charity Salasini told the Sunday Times during the week that this was as a result of the successful compilation of a conceptual framework which would generate and institutionalise a comprehensive design plan of the modern museum.
Ms Salasini said the team of experts from the ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications were engaged by the Copperbelt Museum to conduct the feasibility study and survey of the museum of science and technology to be constructed near the Mufulira round about close to the Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola
The museum and related infrastructure shall be designed with the ‘homestead’ concept in consideration.
The first part would present the practical definitions, passion, motif and concept regarding the museum of science and technology while the second measure would constitute galleries and museum interactive spaces with the associated collections and operational spaces.
The third segment would be the community interactive forums and corresponding infrastructure while, the fourth fragment would be the complimentary services to the museum establishment which would include the hotel, conference hall, restaurant and auditorium.
“The concept is derived from the traditional technique of arranging family homes in most villages in Zambia which depicts an assemblage of structures each with its own function independently united with the whole,” she said.
Ms Salasini said the financing of the development of the museum and associated infrastructure would be achieved through the Private Public Partnership.
“Furthermore, different partners would be able to fund areas of their interest independent of the other,” she said.
Many stakeholders’ and tourists have complained over the size of the Coppperbelt Museum and how inhibiting it had been to the institution to conduct its operations.
They have since called on Government to accelerate the development of the Museum of Science and Technology.