Misconduct claims at charity set up by Prince Harry ‘a surprise’, says Sentebale trustee

A former trustee at a charity co-founded by Prince Harry has said he is surprised at claims of bullying, harassment and misogyny made by its chairwoman.

Dr Kelello Lerotholi told Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills he did not recognise the allegations.

Prince Harry established Sentebale in 2006, in honour of his mother, to help children and young people in southern Africa.

Dr Lerotholi and other trustees have resigned amid a bitter internal row, with Harry also quitting as patron in solidarity.

The royal said on Tuesday he was devastated and “in shock” at having to part ways.

“What’s transpired is unthinkable,” said a joint statement issued with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.

Chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka, who has not accused anyone specifically, alleged “issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir”.

However, Dr Lerotholi told Sky News he had never witnessed these issues and that the claims “came to me as a surprise”.

“I can honestly say, in the meetings I was present in, there was never even a hint of such,” he said.

“The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each others’ opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other.

“So this all came as a shock to me.”

Dr Chandauka said on Tuesday that she had reported Sentebale’s trustees to the Charity Commission in the UK and obtained an injunction to stop them removing her.

Precise details of the falling out within the charity are unclear, but reports have suggested it’s connected to a decision to focus fundraising in Africa.

Harry’s decision is particularly astonishing

You can’t underestimate how significant Sentebale has been for Prince Harry.

His personal tribute to his mother Princess Diana, it was the charity that showed he was more than just a Prince who liked a laugh.

And so important to him that it was at one of their events that he broke his silence in the week after announcing he was stepping away from royal life.

But now he’s had to step away from the charity with a “heavy heart”.

Speaking to trustee Dr Kelello Lerotholi, who was in Lesotho and one of those who stepped down, you can get a real sense of the genuine upset this has all caused.

When I put to him the incredibly serious allegations made by the chair of harassment and bullying, he told me it simply wasn’t something he recognised.

He said “the general conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each others’ opinions”.

He talks instead about there being issues around “stewardship”, suggesting fundraising plans may have been an area of concern.

Dr Kelly, as he likes to be called, has been with the charity from the beginning, he was even there when Prince Harry spent part of his gap year there, the foundation for his bond with Prince Seiso and his desire to help the children of Lesotho.

It now isn’t clear what will happen next. Dr Kelly says the name of the charity, which means “forget me not”, is so intrinsically linked to the two mothers of Prince Seiso and Prince Harry it’s impossible to think of it without them.

Harry’s decision to step down is particularly astonishing when you think that the Invictus Games and Sentebale were the two main pillars of his work that remained from his old life, in a tumultuous five years where he had to give up his military affiliations, his royal patronages and some would say his family.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said it was “aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale” and was “assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps”.

Prince Harry was inspired to start the organisation after spending two months in Lesotho when he was on a gap year in 2004.

He was in the small African country – which has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV and Aids – as recently as last October.

In a statement, Sentebale said it was evolving into an organisation which addresses larger issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in southern Africa.

It said it had not yet received resignations from its two royal patrons.

Source link