By Staff Reporter
HARARE — The operators of Chewore Lodge say government-led negotiations to resolve a protracted 15-year dispute have collapsed, prompting the family to prepare a substantial damages claim against the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and to pursue an appeal at the Constitutional Court.
In a Facebook post, lodge principal Terry Kelly expressed frustration and exhaustion, confirming that talks initiated following a Supreme Court eviction order had failed to yield any resolution.
“It has been almost 15 years of either being in court or in negotiations, trying to resolve this matter.
“Unfortunately, those negotiations have now come to an end with no solution achieved. What was offered was certainly not even close to a resolution, and sadly, we had no choice but to decline,” Kelly wrote.
The government intervened following public backlash over the Supreme Court’s January 2026 ruling, with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife announcing on 15 January that it was engaging all parties to seek an “amicable resolution”.
However, Kelly said the discussions had now definitively broken down.
According to the family, they entered the negotiations in good faith and were prepared to compromise despite their wish to remain at the lodge.
“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 if it meant finding a solution,” Kelly said.
With talks at an impasse, the dispute is set to return to the courts.
Kelly confirmed that the family’s legal team is preparing an appeal to Zimbabwe’s highest court, alongside a significant damages claim.
“We are now in a position where we are preparing with our legal team to go to the Constitutional Court.
“A considerable damages claim against the Authority, National Parks, is being prepared, he said.
The dispute centres on a 25-year lease signed in 2010, which the Supreme Court nullified in January 2026 after siding with former Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who denied authorising the agreement.
This was despite ZimParks having accepted rental payments for more than a decade. The family says it invested millions of US dollars into the lodge during that period.
Kelly’s daughter, Laura Kelly, has previously described the saga as “a bad dream that I keep trying to wake up from”, alleging in January 2026 social media posts that her father endured abduction, false charges and the confiscation of his passport during the dispute.
In his latest statement, Kelly highlighted the emotional toll of the conflict, not only on his family but also on lodge employees and the surrounding community.
“If, in the end, we lose Chewore, our entire family, from my youngest grandchild, our children, our incredible team of guys and their families, and the many Zimbabweans and clients that frequent Chewore, Diane and I will be absolutely heartbroken,” he said.
The Kelly family said global support following the Supreme Court ruling has reinforced their determination to continue the legal fight.
“Over the last three weeks, the global support we have received has been overwhelming — in ways that are difficult to explain.
“It is extraordinary how strangers come together simply because they know what is right,” Kelly wrote.
With negotiations allegedly exhausted, the family insists it will pursue every remaining legal avenue.
The case is being closely watched as a key test of investment security and property rights in Zimbabwe’s tourism sector.
“We will continue with this struggle until there is absolutely nowhere left to go. Because it is right,” Kelly said.
