Suspected robber hobnobs with Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe's social media platforms were set ablaze on Tuesday after self-proclaimed inventor and entrepreneur Maxwell Sangulani Chikumbutso, who has a criminal past, was showcased before President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House. Chikumbutso, once a guest at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, presented his so-called groundbreaking inventions, which included vehicles and motorbikes that he claimed could run on radio waves, a technology he described as the world's first self-powering machines.

However, this latest presentation has sparked intense backlash across social media, with many questioning the legitimacy of Chikumbutso's inventions and labeling them fraudulent. Critics have pointed out that the vehicles showcased at State House appeared to have been manufactured in China, undermining Chikumbutso's claims of invention.

Chikumbutso's checkered past adds fuel to the fire. In 2018, he was arrested on six counts of armed robbery alongside five accomplices, though he denied involvement in the crimes during his bail application. At the time, Chikumbutso presented himself as a successful entrepreneur pioneering new technologies and inventions, but failed to provide any substantial evidence to back up his claims, including not presenting a single title deed or proof of his alleged assets in Zimbabwe. His bail application was rejected, with the judge citing concerns over the possession of an unlicensed firearm that was found in a vehicle belonging to one of his co-accused.

Although Chikumbutso's trial resumed in 2021, the case remains controversial, with some of his accomplices having passed away and others continuing to face serious charges related to a robbery at Murefu Service Station in Waterfalls, Harare.

Social media reactions to Chikumbutso's appearance at State House have been swift and unrelenting. Zanu-PF activist Kudzai Mutisi called on the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services to remove its post celebrating Chikumbutso's inventions, labeling the entire event as "embarrassing." Mutisi also called for the firing of engineers within the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), claiming they failed to prevent such an embarrassing situation.

"The @InfoMinZW and @DeptCommsZW should withdraw their posts and delete them and forget about this embarrassing incident," Mutisi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "If there are engineers in OPC, fire them, they are useless people adding no value."

Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin'ono also weighed in, blasting President Mnangagwa for endorsing what he called "lies." Chin'ono accused the government of continuing to embrace fraudulent claims and predicted that public funds might be looted under the guise of supporting Chikumbutso's dubious inventions.

"So Emmerson Mnangagwa came out of his leave to preside over a ceremony based on lies?" Chin'ono posted. "It has been long proven that the claim of developing a self-powering electric vehicle that operates without fuel, recharging, or external input, powered entirely by radio waves, is false. Why do we embarrass ourselves like this?"

Chin'ono also referred to a previous instance when the government believed in a fraudulent claim that diesel could be extracted from rocks, suggesting that this was yet another attempt to defraud the public.

"What a useless bunch of people we have in power, incorrigible and archaic," Chin'ono added.

In response, Mnangagwa's communications team posted several pictures of Chikumbutso at State House, showing him proudly presenting his inventions to the president, who appeared captivated by the claims.

The controversy surrounding Chikumbutso's presentation has sparked a wider debate about the state of Zimbabwe's innovation and technology sector, with many citizens expressing frustration over the government's apparent endorsement of unproven, potentially fraudulent claims.

As Zimbabweans continue to voice their opinions on social media, the question remains: How will the government handle the mounting skepticism surrounding Chikumbutso's inventions, and what impact will this incident have on the credibility of the country's leadership?