Self-proclaimed inventor and entrepreneur Maxwell Chikumbutso Sangulani, who appeared before President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House on Tuesday, has a history that includes a past stint at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
Chikumbutso was showcasing his claimed latest inventions, including vehicles and motorbikes he says are the world’s first to run on radio waves.
According to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200037606/suspected-robber-hobnobs-with-ed">NewsDay</a>, Chikumbutso was arrested in 2018 on six counts of armed robbery, along with five accomplices.
During his bail hearing, where he was represented by lawyer Admire Rubaya, Chikumbutso denied any involvement in the crimes.
He told Justice Roger Manyangadze Foroma that he was the owner of a successful company pioneering new technology and inventions.
He further claimed to be well-known for his good work and to possess substantial assets in Zimbabwe. However, Justice Foroma said while Chikumbutso asserted he owned significant movable and immovable property, he failed to provide any title deeds as evidence in court. Said Justice Foroma:
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He further argued that he is operating a successful company pioneering new technology and inventions and is famous for the good work he is involved in and that he has substantial assets in Zimbabwe, including immovable properties, yet not a single deed of transfer was produced or referred to as proof.
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The State opposed bail for Chikumbutso, arguing that one of the firearms recovered by the police belonged to him.
This unlicensed firearm was found in the vehicle of a co-accused, who claimed he had given Chikumbutso a lift and that Chikumbutso had allegedly forgotten the weapon.
Justice Foroma denied Chikumbutso bail saying he was not satisfied that the possession of the firearm whether by him or his co-accused was not innocent.
The trial resumed around 2021, but by then, some of Chikumbutso’s accomplices had passed away, leaving only three: Austin Ncube, Wisdom Tariro, and Godfrey Josi.
NewsDay established that his alleged accomplices were Harmony Nyati and Polite Madamombe (both deceased).
They were accused of robbing Murefu Service Station in Waterfalls, Harare.
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ZANU PF activist Kudzai Mutisi urged the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Ministry and the Presidential Communications Department to remove posts on their X pages praising Chikumbutso’s “inventions.” Said Mutisi:
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The @InfoMinZW and @DeptCommsZW should withdraw their posts and delete them and forget about this embarrassing incident.
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Mutisi also called for the dismissal of all engineers within the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC). He said:
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If there are engineers in OPC, fire them, they are useless people adding no value.
They were supposed to prevent this embarrassing situation.
Max invented nothing, whatever he is describing has no scientific basis.
It’s so clear one does not need a microscope to see the fraudulent claims.
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Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono mocked Mnangagwa for hosting Chikumbutso while on his annual leave. He wrote on X:
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So Emmerson Mnangagwa came out of his leave to preside over a ceremony based on lies?
This is what happens when you surround yourself with useless minds, appointing them solely because they are relatives or friends.
It has been long proven that the claim of developing a self-powering electric vehicle that operates without fuel, recharging, or external input, purportedly powered entirely by radio waves, is false.
Why do we embarrass ourselves like this?
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Pindula News

Maxwell Chikumbutso, a man who claims to be an inventor, once spent time in jail for armed robbery. He showcased his inventions to the President of Zimbabwe, saying they run on radio waves. During his trial, he denied involvement in crimes but didn't provide proof of his assets. The court denied him bail, and some of his accomplices have since died. Critics say his inventions are false, and they called for government officials to stop praising him. A journalist criticized the President for hosting Chikumbutso, questioning the truth behind his inventions.

"Inventor" Maxwell Chikumbutso Was Once An Inmate At Chikurubi

Online fact-checking website Snopes.com has debunked claims made by Zimbabwean inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso, <a href="https://www.techzim.co.zw/2015/07/new-inventions-physics-defying-miracle-devices-believe/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">that he invented an electric car which does not require charging</a>. Snopes rated the claim as False in an exhaustive article.  Part of the article reads,
<blockquote>Since 2015, a Zimbabwean man named Sangulani Maxwell Chikumbutso has been hailed by some on the internet as iconoclastic genius and self-taught inventor who successfully created an electric car that runs perpetually without ever needing a charge.
As outlandish and self-evidently incorrect as that assertion is, the journey to the source of that rumour is a fascinating mystery that began with an unsolicited invitation to a media event for a then-unknown company and provides insight into how the viral sausage is made…Chikumbutso has repeatedly stated that he has been unable to patent his device since perpetual motion machines (which would violate the first and second laws of thermodynamics) are unpatentable.
…It’s also entirely possible that investors, and perhaps even Chikumbutso himself, fully believed in the technology they attempted to demonstrate in June 2015 — but the fact that no more demonstrations have occurred makes it clear something was, or is, off. It strains credulity to think that a car that runs indefinitely without recharging or fuel would not receive widespread financial support. We have attempted to contact Saith Technologies, but have not yet received a response.
In our view, however, the burden of proof for upending the first and second laws of thermodynamics lies squarely on the person making that claim. No proof has been offered in the three years since the claim was first made, and as such we confidently rate the claim that he invented a car that “never needs charging” as false.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/did-invent-electric-car-no-charging/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read The Full Article On Snopes</a>

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