A Zimbabwean man has stirred online debate after claiming to have invented a car and receiving recognition from the President.
Inventor and entrepreneur Maxwell Chikumbutso, founder of Saith Technologies and Saith Motors, presented President Emmerson Mnangagwa with the Saith FEV Car, claiming it to be a self-powering vehicle that operates without fuel, recharging, or external input, powered solely by radio waves.
He also presented a Hypersonic Energy Device that he alleged harnesses radio frequencies and converts them into electricity
“President Mnangagwa praised Chikumbutso as a brilliant inventor whose invention has never been seen before anywhere in the world, making it a first of its kind. The President said such talent needs to be cultivated and nurtured for the benefit of the nation,” the presidential department of communications wrote on a social media post.
Photo: Courtesy, The Herald
His inventions quickly sparked online skepticism, with many accusing him of deceiving the President and fabricating his claims.
Zimbabweans accused him of buying an electric vehicle and a portable power station, then presenting them to President Mnangagwa at the Zimbabwe State House while falsely claiming them as his own inventions.
A reverse image search revealed that the invented car was a Kaiyi model manufactured in Japan while the hypersonic energy device was actually a Browey powerstation with a built in solar panel.
Photo: Courtesy, The Herald
Among the skeptics was Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who called out Chikumbutso, labeling him a bogus inventor for misleading the President with false claims about the invention.
Expressing his disappointment, he also criticized Zimbabwe’s state security service for failing to conduct due diligence on the authenticity of the inventions.
He lamented the negative impact such stunts have on the country’s reputation.
“What shocks me is that Zimbabwe has a state security service that should be preventing the president from being exposed to such embarrassing moments. The world is not just laughing at Mnangagwa, it is laughing at our country,” he wrote on his social media platform.
