Sawt Falasteen - Prince Harry resigns from Africa charity after 'devastating' row

Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso said they were resigning after a "devastating" dispute between trustees and board chair Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed in 2023.

Relations "broke down beyond repair," they said in a joint statement late Tuesday.

Harry had vowed not to walk away from the Sentebale charity in his first public speech after he dramatically split from Britain's royal family in 2020.

He founded the charity in 2006 in honour of his mother Princess Diana with Seeiso to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and later Botswana.

"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," they said.

Trustees on the board had already left the UK-registered organisation and requested Chandauka's resignation.

It is not clear exactly what is behind the rift, but Chandauka said she was being targeted after raising serious concerns about the charity including accusations of harassment, misogyny and racism.

Sentebale said in a statement to AFP that it had not received the resignations but confirmed a "recalibration of the board."

Last year, the charity said it was seeking to become a "locally led organisation" and was evolving to focus on "youth health, wealth and climate resilience" in southern Africa.

In December it announced the departure of its London-based CEO and the appointment of a new interim executive director in Johannesburg, in a "first move to place the most critical senior roles in close proximity to its programmes in Southern Africa."

- 'Devastating' -

In their statement, Harry and Seeiso said: "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."

Chandauka alleged she had faced a backlash after trying to air concerns about the charity's governance.

The Zimbabwe-born lawyer said this was "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 coverup that ensued."

"For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account," she said.

Chandauka said she had reported trustees to the UK's Charity Commission regulator and taken her case to the High Court in London.

Harry and Seeiso said Chandauka had "sued the charity" to remain in her position after trustees asked her to step down, adding that they would also share their concerns with the Charity Commission.

The regulator told AFP it was "aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale".

"We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps," it said.

After Harry and his wife Meghan announced they were stepping down as working members of Britain's royal family in 2020, the prince was stripped of his royal and honorary military positions.

But his role at Sentebale was one of a small number of private patronages he held onto.

Following the split, Harry told a private dinner for the charity's supporters in January 2020: "What I want to make clear is, we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you."

Harry chose the name Sentebale as a tribute to Diana -- it means "forget me not" in the Sesotho language and is also used to say goodbye.

Meanwhile, his wife Meghan this week launched a new podcast "Confessions of a Female Founder" as she seeks to rebrand her image and focus on her new company "As Ever".

Her new lifestyle Netflix series "With Love, Meghan" has also been renewed for a second series, despite being mostly panned by the critics.

U.AlSharif--SF-PST