The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has stepped down as a patron of Sentebale, the Lesotho-based charity he co-founded, following a governance crisis involving its board of trustees and chairperson, Dr. Sophie Chandauka.
In a joint resignation with fellow co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the charity’s board of trustees, Prince Harry cited an irreparable breakdown in relations between the chair and the board. The dispute escalated after Dr. Chandauka was asked to step down and subsequently sued the charity to retain her position.
Dr. Chandauka has since reported Sentebale to the UK Charity Commission, alleging “abuse of power” and “harassment” within the organisation. The Charity Commission confirmed it is “aware of concerns about the governance” of Sentebale and is currently reviewing the situation.
Sentebale, founded in 2006 by the two princes, initially focused on supporting young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. However, in April 2023, it announced plans to expand its mission to include youth health, economic development, and climate resilience.
In a statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso expressed their disappointment over the internal dispute, saying, “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.”
The former trustees—Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West—said they had lost trust in the chairperson, adding that her legal challenge made it impossible for them to remain in their roles.
“This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity,” they stated.
Dr. Chandauka defended her leadership, claiming her decision to challenge the board was in the interest of fairness and good governance. She accused powerful individuals of trying to silence her, saying:
“There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, then play the victim card.”
She further described the situation as a “coverup” of issues including “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir.”
Despite the controversy, Sentebale stated it had not yet received formal resignations from Prince Harry or Prince Seeiso but acknowledged a “restructuring” of its board. The charity noted that its governance recalibration was part of a broader transformation strategy to expand its impact in Southern Africa.
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