Lethobane sees light to purify water
Chemist seeks solutions for Africa
Manthako Lethobane spent 13 months reading three hours a day as part of her research on how to purify water.
Now the 26-year-old masters graduate in chemistry at Wits University has found an innovative way of purifying water using sunlight to activate nano particles (microscopic fragments of a material).
“This means that people who collect water from the river will someday be able to use these materials to clean water that has been affected by industrial waste,” she said.
Lethobane’s research was inspired by the lack of clean drinking water available in her native Lesotho.
“I want to solve African problems,” she said.
“We have quite a lot of resources but we don’t know how to use them. For example, we have an unlimited supply of sunlight.”
The idea of finding a renewable method to clean water was realised in her final year of study. She said more research was needed for her product to become marketready.
The procurement trainee at South African Breweries (SAB) said she planned to pitch her research to the company to continue its development.
“The problem with research is that a lot of the things that are made in the lab will stay in the lab,” she said.
Lethobane is confident of success because of the hurdles she has already overcome.
“When I came to Wits for my honours year, I had no plan for how I was going to pay my fees and my residence.”
She approached the university, which granted her a scholarship to continue her studies based on her stellar academic performance.
“My father had passed away so my mother is basically a single mother.
She had one daughter abroad, me at university and two other children in high school,” she said.
Lethobane’s dreams include studying towards her doctoral degree and developing her entrepreneurial side in to make her findings marketable.
Her research supervisor, Dr Nosipho Moloto, said Lethobane’s work has inspired the current students.
“There are different areas in the research that is being built on or improved by other students because Lethobane’s work is a stepping stone,” Moloto said.