“This Isn’t Over”: Defiant Investors Vow To Appeal After Supreme Court Orders Eviction From Lucrative Chewore Lodge and Campsite

A furious family has vowed to fight to the highest court after Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court ordered them to vacate their multi-million dollar safari business. The court ruled on 12 January 2026 that the 25-year lease for the famed Chewore Lodge and Campsite was invalid. Investor Terry Kelly and his family, who have run the lodge for 15 years, immediately declared the battle unfinished.

“This isn’t over, we aren’t finished yet,” declared Laura Kelly, the investor’s daughter, in a fiery social media post just days before the ruling.

“A Bad Dream I Keep Trying To Wake Up From”: A Daughter’s Anguish

For the Kelly family, the Supreme Court’s decision is the climax of a 15-year ordeal they describe as a living nightmare. Laura Kelly, speaking for her 73-year-old father Terry and the family, posted a raw account on the lodge’s Facebook page on 10 January 2026, detailing years of struggle that went far beyond a legal dispute.

“Sometimes it’s like a bad dream that I keep trying to wake up from,” she wrote, framing the family’s long battle.

Her post alleged a relentless campaign against them, stating, “We have been illegally shut down, threatened to be evicted, had armed rangers deployed at camp.” She made serious personal allegations about her father’s treatment, claiming, “He’s been ABDUCTED, had false charges put against him, sent to remand, had his passport taken off him.” She linked this directly to personal tragedy, saying, “He missed seeing his sister for the last time before she passed away.”

Court Cites Missing Signature, Family Cites Betrayal

The Supreme Court’s legal rationale stood in stark contrast to the family’s emotional testimony. The ruling, delivered by Justices George Chiweshe, Chinembiri Bhunu and Joseph Musakwa, voided the lease held by Terry Kelly’s company, Suscaden Investments, due to a lack of proven ministerial approval.

Despite the lease document bearing a signature, former Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri denied signing it. The court found the family’s evidence insufficient.

Justice Chiweshe stated, “No amount of prior conduct can breathe life into an agreement that was void from the outset,” dismissing the fact that ZimParks had accepted rent for years.

For the Kellys, this legal technicality feels like a profound betrayal after years of investment and partnership. Laura Kelly emphasised her father’s lawful efforts, writing,

“My dad has done nothing but lawfully rent land, build a camp that our clients who have become friends love, and created an escape in the bush.”

“A Travesty of Justice”: Prominent Voice Condemns Ruling and Warns Investors

The family’s claims of injustice have found support from prominent economist and political figure Eddie Cross. In a post from March 2025, Cross called an earlier court decision against the lodge “a travesty of Justice and a warning to all who Invest in Tourism.”

He argued the case exposed the severe risks for anyone doing business with the state, noting the investor had acted “on the strength of a lease he signed with National Parks which have not invested a cent.” Cross directly questioned the government’s “open for business” slogan, warning:

“What message does this send out to other investors who think they are safe?… Anything less just confirms that Zimbabwe is not ‘open for business’.”

Cross’s article also pointed to a long-running commercial rivalry, noting that well-known businessman Billy Rautenbach, who holds the adjacent hunting concession, “strongly opposed the award of the lease from the very start” and had “consistently tried to have him removed.” The Chewore concession is a non-hunting zone, creating a sanctuary for wildlife between two hunting areas.

The Supreme Court has given Suscaden Investments 90 days to vacate the property, after which the Sheriff will enforce the eviction. The ruling paves the way for ZimParks to potentially issue a new tender for the lucrative lodge site in the Chewore North Safari Area.

“The Truth Always Comes To Light”: A Constitutional Fight Begins

Facing the loss of everything they built, the family’s response is one of defiant resolve. They are now taking their fight to Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court, seeking what they call justice.

“We are now making our way to the constitutional courts of Zimbabwe seeking justice,” Laura Kelly confirmed.

Her social media post framed this next step as a moral imperative, rooted in a belief that the facts are on their side.

“The truth is still there. The facts remain the same and it can’t be changed,” she argued. Expressing a mix of frustration and faith, she concluded, “The truth ALWAYS comes to light. Yes, sometimes I wish it would bloody hurry up. But it will come. It always does.”