Prince Harry Quits Sentebale Over Leadership Dispute
Prince Harry has stepped down as patron of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded almost two decades ago to honour his late mother, Princess Diana. The charity, established in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, focuses on supporting young people living with HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa, particularly in Lesotho and Botswana.
However, tensions between the charity’s trustees and the board chair, Sophie Chandauka, who took the position in 2023, have led to a breakdown in relations. As a result, Prince Harry and Seeiso announced their resignation in a joint statement on Tuesday, stating that the relationship had “broken down beyond repair”.
“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries,” the statement read.
Several trustees have already departed from the organisation, some even calling for Chandauka’s resignation. While the exact cause of the rift remains unclear, Chandauka has claimed that she was being targeted after raising concerns regarding the charity’s operations.
In response to AFP’s inquiry, Sentebale confirmed that it had not received the resignations but clarified that the organisation was transitioning from focusing solely on HIV/AIDS issues to addressing broader concerns such as youth health, wealth, and climate resilience in Southern Africa.
In their statement, Prince Harry and Seeiso expressed their dismay, stating, “With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”
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Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, accused critics of retaliating against her after she raised serious governance issues. She described her experience as “the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir – and the cover-up that ensued.”
“For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account,” she added.
Chandauka has reported the trustees to the UK’s Charity Commission and has taken legal action, including approaching the High Court in London. In response to the dispute, Harry and Seeiso stated that Chandauka had “sued the charity” to stay in her position after the trustees asked for her resignation. The two also pledged to raise their concerns with the Charity Commission.
The Charity Commission has acknowledged the ongoing concerns about Sentebale’s governance and confirmed it was assessing the situation to determine appropriate regulatory actions.
Content Credit | Agbetan Bisola
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