Land claim puts brake on innovative energy plant

A KwaZulu-Natal sugar-cane farmer's grand plan to build an R800-million, 16.5MW renewable energy plant on his farm could be thwarted by a massive land claim that could swallow the entire property earmarked for the project. Owner Charl Senekal, who was singled out by President Jacob Zuma in his state of the nation address as "my good friend" and who in 2002 hosted deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at his farm, is the biggest private land owner in KwaZulu-Natal.