The story gained traction after , the ARD Africa correspondent based in Johannesburg, visited Chikumbutso and filed a glowing report.
: The reporting suggested this could be a major solution to the global energy crisis, providing "free, green energy" without emissions or raw material consumption. The Journalistic Failure
In September 2022, the German news platform published a sensational story about a "miracle" television that reportedly generated its own electricity. The report, which was quickly retracted, featured Zimbabwean inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso , who claimed his device could harvest energy from radio waves to power itself and even other appliances. The Core of the "Invention"
: Chikumbutso presented a standard Samsung TV that he allegedly modified with a "multi-source ambient energy converter".