The Duke of Sussex has decided to step down as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity based in Lesotho that he co-founded. This decision comes after a dispute between the charity’s trustees and the chair of its board, Dr. Sophie Chandauka. Prince Harry, along with fellow patron Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and the board of trustees, have all resigned due to the breakdown of the relationship with Dr. Chandauka, who sued the charity after being asked to resign.
Dr. Chandauka has raised concerns about potential abuse of power and harassment within the organization and has reported Sentebale to the UK Charity Commission. The Commission is now investigating the governance issues raised within the charity. Sentebale, founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, focuses on addressing the impact of HIV and Aids on young people in Lesotho and Botswana.
In a joint statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso expressed their support for the board of trustees and their decision to step down. They highlighted the breakdown of the relationship with the chair of the board, which led to an untenable situation within the charity. Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West also resigned, citing a loss of trust in the chairwoman and the legal and financial burden imposed by her legal action.
Dr. Chandauka emphasized her commitment to fairness and equitable treatment for all individuals, regardless of their social status. She spoke out against poor governance, abuse of power, and harassment within Sentebale, noting the challenges faced when trying to address these issues. The charity itself confirmed a restructuring of its board to bring in more experts to accelerate its transformation agenda, moving towards addressing issues of youth health, wealth, and climate resilience in Southern Africa. The Charity Commission is currently assessing the governance issues within Sentebale to determine appropriate regulatory steps
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