Prince Harry has been blasted by the chair of a charity he set up, accusing him of “unleashing the Sussex PR machine” on her.
Sentebale chair Dr Sophie Chandauka has accused Prince Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale” following his departure from the charity earlier this week.
He and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho released a joint statement saying they had stepped down “in support of and solidarity with” the board of trustees who resigned following disagreements with Chandauka.
With problems reportedly coming from a decision to focus fundraising in Africa, they said the relationship “broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.
She told Sky News: “The only reason I’m here… is because at some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director.
“And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisations and their family? That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”
Dr Chandauka said earlier this week, in an attack seemingly targeted at Prince Harry: “There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct.
“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the press is 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.”
But former trustee of the charity, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, said he never witnessed these issues and Chandauka’s claims “came to me as a surprise”.
He said: “I can honestly say, in the meetings I was present in, there was never even a hint of such. The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each other’s opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other.”
Sentebale was set up by Prince Harry in 2006 after he spent two months of his gap year in Lesotho in 2004. It aims to help children and young people across south Africa, especially those with HIV DNA Aids.
