Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe – The Zimbabwean investment climate has been dealt a massive blow following a Supreme Court ruling that has stripped businessman Terry William Kelly (73) of his prized Chewore Lodge, despite the veteran investor pouring millions of dollars into the high-end safari destination.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the tourism sector, the court invalidated a 25-year lease held by Kelly’s company, Suscaden Investments, effectively handing over a fully developed world-class asset back to the state without compensation.
The Signature Dispute: A Legal Technicality?
For 15 years, Kelly operated Chewore Lodge under agreements with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks). Throughout this period, ZimParks accepted rental payments and treated the contract as legally binding.
The legal battle hinged on a signature. While the lease documents bore the signature of then-Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, and former ZimParks officials testified that the paperwork followed official channels, the Minister denied signing the document.
With no “forensic proof” of the signature accepted by the bench, the Supreme Court ruled the lease invalid for lacking ministerial approval. This decision completely ignored a decade and a half of government-sanctioned operations and the millions in infrastructure Kelly built from the ground up.
“Daylight Robbery”: Chin’ono Blasts Property Rights Record
Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono reacted sharply to the ruling, describing it as a “warning bell” for anyone looking to bring capital into Zimbabwe. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Chin’ono characterized the seizure as a targeted grab.
“This is why real investors are not coming to Zimbabwe: the courts are ridiculously captured, and there is no fairness or rule of law,” Chin’ono wrote. “I can bet my bottom dollar that someone in ZANUPF wants this property… This is daylight robbery dressed up as law.”
He further lamented that such rulings destroy investor confidence, as businesses are built by individuals only to be snatched away once they become profitable.
A Family’s 15-Year Ordeal
The Kelly family’s journey has been one of extreme hardship. Beyond the financial loss, Kelly’s daughter, Laura Kelly, shared a harrowing account of the “bad dream” they have endured.
According to a statement on the Chewore Lodge and Campsite social media page, the family has faced:
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Illegal shutdowns and forced evictions.
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Armed rangers deployed at the camp.
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Abductions and trumped-up criminal charges.
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The seizure of Terry Kelly’s passport, which prevented him from seeing his dying sister.
“My dad has done nothing but lawfully rent land, build a camp… and create an escape in the bush,” Laura Kelly stated, emphasizing that her father always sought to “put back in the pot” for the local community.
Constitutional Court: The Final Stand
The Kelly family is not backing down. Having lost the appeal at the Supreme Court, they have confirmed plans to escalate the matter to the Constitutional Court.
This case is now being viewed as a landmark litmus test for the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra. If a 15-year-old operational investment can be nullified over a disputed signature, the security of all private property rights in the country remains in serious jeopardy.
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