Qaddafi's Son Is Considering Investing in Dam, Ethanol Project in Zimbabwe

Saadi Qaddafi, one of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s sons, has expressed interest in building an ethanol plant in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province, the Zimbabwe Reporter said.

Gaddafi is visiting the southern African country this week to assess Libyan investment opportunities in agriculture and tourism, the newspaper said.

The former professional football player met with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Aug. 23.

During the visit he expressed interest in reviving the Tokwe-Mukosi dam project to irrigate a sugar cane plantation that will be used for the manufacture of ethanol, the newspaper said.

Situated south of Masvingo City in the vicinity of Zimbabwe’s sugar estates, the $130 million project has been stalled since 1998 due to lack of funds.

Billy Rautenbach, a Zimbabwe investor slapped with sanctions by the European Union for links to Mugabe’s regime, attempted to develop an ethanol project in Masvingo last year but was forced to relocate the project to the Manicaland Province due to a shortage of water, the Zimbabwe Herald reported in March.

source: bloomberg