Zimbabwe Government Announces Chewore Safari Lodge Crisis Talks Following Widespread Outrage, Seeks “Amicable Resolution”

Zimbabwe Government Announces It Is Working On Amicable Resolution To Chewore Lodge Following Widespread Outrage

The Zimbabwe government has announced it is holding crisis talks over the future of Chewore Safari Lodge, seeking an “amicable resolution.” This urgent intervention follows a wave of national outrage over a Supreme Court ruling ordering the eviction of the lodge’s long-term operator.

In a formal public notice released on January 15, 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife (MECW) confirmed the high-level engagement. The ministry provided specific details of its mediation effort, stating it had engaged with the core parties involved.

The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife (MECW), has, this morning, engaged with all parties involved—Suscaden, Big 5, and the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority—with a view to facilitating dialogue and fostering an amicable resolution to the ongoing issue regarding Chewore Safari Lodge.

The Ministry’s statement further described the tone of the discussions and their overarching goal.

The engagements have been constructive, and all parties have expressed a shared commitment to resolving the matter within the shortest possible time frame, in a manner that is fair, mutually beneficial, and aligned with the applicable legal and policy frameworks.

The announcement is a direct attempt to manage the fierce public and business backlash that erupted after the controversial court decision, with the Ministry concluding by reaffirming a key government slogan.

The Core Of The Crisis: A Denied Signature

The crisis centres on a 25-year lease agreement signed in 2010. For 15 years, businessman Terry William Kelly operated the luxury Zambezi Valley lodge under this lease with ZimParks. He invested millions of US dollars into the tourist destination.

The agreement unravelled when former Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri denied authorising it, despite her name being on the document. In January 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in her favour. The judges stated that Kelly’s company, Suscaden, failed to definitively prove she had signed.

Justice George Chiweshe, who read the ruling, stated,

“The appellant has not satisfactorily demonstrated that the Minister signed or otherwise approved the lease agreement as required under Section 37 of the Act.”

The court gave the Kelly family 90 days to vacate, putting their entire investment at risk.

Family’s Defiance And Public Fury

The ruling ignited immediate fury. The Kelly family vowed to fight on, with the investor’s daughter, Laura Kelly, calling their 15-year struggle “a bad dream that I keep trying to wake up from.” The family is now preparing an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

More significantly, the decision triggered a storm of condemnation from lawyers, economists, and the public. They argued it made a mockery of property rights and exposed the extreme risk of investing in Zimbabwe. Prominent lawyer Siphosami Malunga captured the legal argument on social media.

“You can’t give someone undisturbed occupation & collect rentals for 15 years & then claim there was no lease simply on the basis that the former minister denies signing the lease,” he posted on January 13th.

This widespread perception of injustice is what, perhaps, forced the government’s hand. The announcement of crisis talks is a clear effort to salvage the country’s battered investment reputation, with the Ministry’s notice explicitly reiterating that “Zimbabwe remains open for business.”

By stating it seeks an “amicable resolution,” the government is trying to project control and reassure other investors, even as the evicted family prepares for another legal battle.