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The People’s Eye visited young inventor, Munei Netsharotha, at his school near Thohoyandou to find out about his car engine fuelled by water.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Munei Netsharotha (17) is basking in the limelight – reluctantly, one would conclude, on meeting him in person.

Being laconic aside, Netsharoda even does not take the hype around him into his head. He has been on TV, interviewed by radio stations, flattered by politicians and his story suffuses social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Facebook and X.

Netsharoda, still, is oblivious to the potential major shake-up of the fuel industry he will cause – sooner or later – with his invention of a vehicle engine that runs on water.

The teenager from Ha-Tshivhase near Thohoyandou in Limpopo province insists he has a class to attend as The People’s Eye arrives at his school, Tshivhase Secondary, on a scorching Thursday afternoon for an interview. He is doing Grade 10.

“How long will this take? I must be in class,” Netsharoda says.

Netsharoda’s road to fame began when teachers told him and the rest of the science students to design projects to showcase during the Science Week on October 3.

Well, before this, he only had his videos on You Tube where he plays musangwe, bare knuckle fist fighting, that is popular in the far northern area. Hence, his favourite sport is boxing.

He came up with an idea of inventing an engine that is fuelled by water, which through a process of electrolysis (use of electricity to cause a non-spontaneous chemical reaction) breaks down the water to release hydrogen that powers the engine.

Netsharoda uses a catalyst – and that is his ‘closely-guarded’ secret – to break down water into two elements – oxygen and hydrogen.

During the electrolysis process, he says, the oxygen is released into the carburetor.

Netsharoda says that many people think that government will suffer because of his innovation as it would not make money from fuels such as petrol.

“It’s not like that. My idea is to allow government to use this vehicle because fuel is expensive. This is a project for government to use and save money,” he says.

Netsharoda explains that he started this project for the sole purpose of participating in the Science Expo in 2023. He failed to win past competitions and had to re-work on it until it was perfect.

We ask him how he feels that he has innovated a clean car during the time when the whole world is grappling with global warming brought about by carbon emissions.

“I feel so good. This car does not cause pollution. It has zero (carbon) emissions. It’s like an electric car but the problem with an electric car is the battery…it does not last long,” Netsharoda explains.

The real spark of his idea was a chemistry lesson his teacher conducted, which showed them how to make fire from water. It’s a process that releases combustible hydrogen.

“Water is free and can be found everywhere. This car can use two litres to run for about 35 km.”

Netsharoda explains that his goal is to become a mechanical engineer and to produce new technology to the world. “I have many ideas running through my head that I want to try,” he says.

The public has reacted ambivalently to Netsharoda’s innovation on social media. Some feel very hopeful but also equally worried about what may happen to him if he is not protected. They opine that the fuel industry may not tolerate competition that threatens to collapse its dominance and monopoly.

Chillingly, they even think that Netsharoda may be killed. They cannot be blamed for thinking so if previous incidents are anything to go by.

Speculation still abound today how US inventor, Stanley Meyer, died on March 21 1998. Meyer had invented a car that uses the water cell. On this awful day, he was at a restaurant with potential investor and his brother.

It is alleged that he took a sip of cranberry juice and immediately after the first sip, he got up as if gone crazy. He was losing his breath and ran to the parking where he collapsed on the ground and uttered his last words: “They poisoned me.”

Netsharoda is not even aware that he is walking on the footsteps of eminent scientists and engineers hailing from the Vhembe district. The names of late engineer and world-acclaimed innovator, Professor Mulalo Doyoyo, and Professor Tshilidzi Marwala – an academic, engineer and scientist – are new to him.

“My role models are my teachers,” he says.