(FILES) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex interacts with the youngsters at The Princes basis for youngsters in Africa, Sentebale on the Chobe district, within the Northern Botswana on September 26, 2019. Prince Harry has stop as patron of the charity Sentebale that he co-founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to assist younger individuals with HIV and Aids within the southern African kingdom and later Botswana. (Photograph by MONIRUL BHUIYAN / AFP)
LONDON, United Kingdom — A bitter boardroom row at an African charity Prince Harry based after which stop escalated Sunday after its chairperson accused the prince of “bullying” and being concerned in a “cowl up.”
Earlier this week, Harry and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso introduced their departure from the Sentebale charity they based in 2006 following a “devastating” dispute between trustees and board chair Sophie Chandauka.
Relations with Chandauka, who was appointed in 2023, “broke down past restore”, they mentioned in a joint assertion on Tuesday, prompting trustees to depart and demand that Chandauka resign.
Within the newest allegations, Chandauka accused Harry, who based the charity in reminiscence of his mom, Princess Diana, of making an attempt to power her out by “bullying [and] harassment” in an interview with Sky Information.
In line with Chandauka, there was a tradition of “silence” on the group, with board members reluctant to talk out towards the Duke of Sussex, whom she accused of “belligerence” in board conferences and past.
In a single instance, Chandauka criticized Harry for his determination to deliver a Netflix digital camera crew to the charity’s polo fundraiser final yr, in addition to an unplanned look by his spouse Meghan on the occasion.
Following essential media protection of the fundraiser, she claimed Harry “requested me to subject some type of a press release in assist of the Duchess (of Sussex).”
She alleged the request to again Meghan was a push by the “Sussex PR machine” that “helps Prince Harry’s efforts.”
Former trustee Kelello Lerotholi advised Sky Information he didn’t recognise the allegations of boardroom rifts and discontent.
A supply near the trustees advised the BBC they “absolutely anticipated this publicity stunt” after they left the board.
‘Cowl-up’
Former British politician Lynda Chalker, who stop as a trustee in November after almost 20 years, described Chandauka’s governance fashion as “virtually dictatorial.”
Chalker advised The Occasions she left as a result of she was “not proud of the path” the chair was taking.
Harry based the charity in honour of his mom with Seeiso to assist younger individuals with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and later Botswana.
“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We’re in shock that we’ve got to do that, however we’ve got a continued duty to Sentebale’s beneficiaries,” the co-founders mentioned of their resignation.
In line with Chandauka, relations broke down after she complained about “the harassment and the misogyny” within the organisation, together with by people on the board.
Harry was not one of many people, and so they had a “nice relationship” earlier than she made the allegations, in response to the Zimbabwe-born lawyer.
However she mentioned that after she spoke out, Harry “interfered within the investigation”.
“So it’s a cover-up, and the prince is concerned,” Chandauka mentioned, claiming that after that time, the prince needed her out.
“What Prince Harry needed to do was to eject me and this went on for months. It went on for months by bullying, harassment,” she mentioned.
‘Conscious of issues’
Chandauka mentioned she had reported trustees to the UK’s Charity Fee regulator and brought her case to the Excessive Court docket in London.
Harry and Seeiso mentioned Chandauka had “sued the charity” to stay in her place after trustees requested her to step down, including that they’d additionally share their issues with the Charity Fee.
The Charity Fee advised AFP it was “conscious of issues in regards to the governance of Sentebale”.
“We’re assessing the problems to find out the suitable regulatory steps,” it mentioned.
The most recent accusations are a recent blow for the prince, who saved up solely a handful of his non-public patronages, together with with Sentebale after a dramatic cut up with the British royals in 2020.
Whereas Harry was integral to the founding imaginative and prescient of the charity, to which he as soon as mentioned he was “dedicated for the remainder of my life,” Chandauka mentioned “Sentebale has a future” past the prince.
“Sentebale is right here due to the individuals in Africa who do the work each single day,” the chair mentioned, alleging that “Prince Harry visited Africa for the primary time in 5 years once I requested him to final yr.”
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Harry selected the identify Sentebale as a tribute to Diana — it means “overlook me not” within the Sesotho language and can be used to say goodbye.
