Chewore Lodge Owners To Relocate After Losing 15-year Lease Battle

The owners of the iconic Chewore Lodge and Campsite have announced they are relocating to a new site in the Mana Pools area after finally reaching a resolution over the long-running ownership dispute.

In a statement posted on Facebook, owners Terry William Kelly and Laura said they had “come to a conclusion in our negotiations relating to Chewore” and had started relocating their camp to a prime site in the east of Mana allocated to them by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).

“Hi everyone, It’s been a while! We’d like to let you all know that we have finally come to a conclusion in our negotiations relating to Chewore,” the pair said.

“We have just started the relocation of our beloved Chewore camp into a prime site in the East of Mana, that has been allocated to us from ZimParks.”

The announcement brings to an end, at least in its current form, a protracted battle over one of the Zambezi Valley’s best-known safari properties.

Chewore Lodge and Campsite is situated at the confluence of the Chewore and Zambezi rivers, inside the Chewore North Safari Area, which together with Mana Pools National Park and Sapi Safari Area forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It has been run for about 15 years by Kelly through his company Suscaden Investments, who is reported to have invested millions of dollars into its development.

The dispute came to a head in March 2025 when the High Court ordered the closure of the lodge and evicted the operator. Justice Tawanda Chitapi ruled that the 25-year lease agreement between ZimParks and Suscaden Investments was invalid from inception, citing legal deficiencies.

The court found the agreement lacked the concurrence of the parent ministry, as required by law, and that its 25-year duration exceeded the legally permissible 20-year limit. The judge said ZimParks’ collection of rentals over the years did not legitimise the arrangement. Suscaden was given until 19 June 2025 to vacate.

Kelly appealed, but on 12 January 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court decision and ruled that the 25-year lease was invalid. The ruling, delivered by Justices George Chiweshe, Chinembiri Bhunu and Joseph Musakwa, found there was no proven ministerial approval despite a signature on the document, after Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri denied signing it.

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.

The court gave Suscaden 90 days to vacate, after which the Sheriff would enforce the eviction.

The family described the judgment as a “travesty of justice” and vowed to take the fight to the Constitutional Court. Kelly insisted he held a valid agreement and cited a report from a senior South African graphologist verifying the minister’s signature.

His daughter Laura detailed years of hardship, saying the family had been “illegally shut down, threatened to be evicted, had armed rangers deployed at camp” and that her father had faced false charges and had his passport seized.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife said on 15 January 2026 it was working to facilitate “an amicable resolution” that complies with the law while protecting investment. The ministry said it had held “constructive” talks with Suscaden Investments, Big 5 and ZimParks.

Those talks later collapsed. In a statement on 5 February 2026, Kelly said negotiations had ended with no solution, describing what was offered as “certainly not even close” to a resolution.

“We entered those negotiations with an open mind, good faith and a willingness to be flexible. Even though we have never wanted to leave our beloved Chewore, we were prepared to compromise,” he said at the time.

He said the family was preparing a Constitutional Court challenge and a damages claim against ZimParks.

The case attracted wide attention in tourism and business circles, raising questions about lease security and investor protection in Zimbabwe’s wildlife sector.

In their latest update, the Kellys did not detail the terms of the new arrangement, but said ZimParks had allocated them a new site in the east of Mana and they had begun relocation.

“From all of us, we want to thank you all for supporting us, praying for us and sharing our message,” they said.

“Exciting times ahead, and we’re so grateful to be back at it.”