Mnangagwa duped by form 2 dropout?

In an embarrassing turn of events that echoes the infamous 2007 Rotina Mavhunga Chinhoyi diesel scam, Zimbabwean inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso has been caught misleading President Emmerson Mnangagwa with fraudulent claims about his so-called inventions. Chikumbutso, whose reputation as a self-proclaimed "genius" has been shattered, has been exposed for passing off imported products as his own creations, further raising questions about the country's scientific credibility.

Chikumbutso, a Form 2 school dropout, presented a car and energy device to Mnangagwa at State House in Harare, claiming they were his groundbreaking inventions. The electric car, which he called the Saith FEV, was presented with grandiose statements, including the claim that it was a self-powering vehicle that operates without fuel, recharges, or requires any external input, supposedly powered solely by radio waves.

In front of a crowd of journalists and flashing cameras, Chikumbutso painted a picture of Einsteinian brilliance. The car was enthusiastically applauded by some, with social media exploding in praise for Chikumbutso's supposed ingenuity. However, a reverse image search on the car quickly revealed that it was not his invention at all. The car, a Kaiyi model manufactured in Japan, was being passed off as an original creation, sparking a widespread backlash online.

Further investigation revealed that Chikumbutso’s "Hypersonic Energy Device" was simply a Browey power station with a built-in solar panel—available for purchase on Amazon. What was touted as a revolutionary energy solution turned out to be a mere off-the-shelf product.

While Chikumbutso’s claims were met with excitement and validation by some gullible government officials and supporters, there has been growing skepticism among the public. Critics have raised serious concerns about the deception of the President and the potential damage to the credibility of the country's scientific community. The incident has raised important questions about the need for proper vetting of technological claims and the importance of transparency in innovation.

This scandal calls to mind a similar episode in 2007 when Rotina Mavhunga, a traditional healer and spirit medium, duped the Mugabe administration with a bizarre claim of discovering diesel leaking from a rock in Chinhoyi. Mavhunga, who claimed the diesel was a gift from ancestral spirits to ease Zimbabwe's fuel crisis, was photographed by state-controlled media holding a hosepipe in a rock. A subsequent investigation by the government found no evidence of diesel, with the Zanu-PF politburo dismissing the matter.

Once again, Zimbabwe's leadership has demonstrated a worrying lack of scientific literacy and basic skepticism in the face of dubious claims. Chikumbutso’s recent scam, coupled with the Mavhunga debacle, showcases a troubling pattern of gullibility and poor decision-making among the country's political elite.

In a further twist, it has now emerged that Chikumbutso was arrested in 2018 on six counts of armed robbery, accompanied by five others. This background raises even more questions about his credibility and intentions, casting a shadow over his supposed innovations and the political figures who have championed them.

As Zimbabwe continues to grapple with its economic and political challenges, this latest scandal underscores the importance of critical thinking, transparency, and accountability in governance. The public's trust in the leadership has been further eroded, leaving many wondering if there will ever be a shift toward evidence-based decision-making in the country’s political and scientific landscape.