Prince Harry’s African charity accused of prejudice against Black women, being a ‘vanity project’

Prince Harry’s dispute over management of the African nonprofit he founded in honor of his mother, the late Princess Diana, has grown even more bitter, with the embattled chairwoman taking swipes at him and other departing trustees, alleging “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir” — prejudice against Black women.

Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born corporate finance lawyer, hit back after Harry’s dramatic announcement Monday, first reported by the Times UK, in which he said that he and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho had no other choice but to step down from the organization, Sentebale. The two royal friends established the organization in 2006 saying they wanted to help young people in Lesotho and Botswana living in poverty and caught up in the AIDS/HIV crisis.

Harry and Seeiso described their decision to leave Sentebale as “devastating” but said their relationship with Chandauka had broken down “beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,” the Times reported.

Chandauka, who was named chair of the board of trustees last year, responded to Harry’s complaints about her leadership by presenting herself as a “whistleblower,” the Times said. In refusing to leave her job, she also appeared to suggest that Sentebale was a “vanity project” for Harry, Seeiso and other trustees, the Times added.

In a statement to the media, Chandauka said she had been “guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means,” People also reported. 

“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,” her statement continued.

Chandauka added that this 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 coverup that ensued.”

Misogynoir also is described as “hatred of or aversion to Black women,” according to Merriam-Webster and other dictionaries. Chandauka’s use of this term could be seen as pointed at Harry, who had tried to present himself as enlightened on racial matters after decrying racism directed against his biracial wife, Meghan Markle.

Chandauka got in some more apparent digs at Harry by saying that her work with Sentebale was “not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account.”

Chandauka furthermore said she had filed a lawsuit in the High Court in the U.K. where the nonprofit is registered. To add to the controversy, the Charity Commission in the U.K., which registers and regulates nonprofits in England and Wales, confirmed to the Times UK that they are investigating Chandauka’s claims.

Harry appeared eager to get ahead of the brewing controversy by revealing in a Times UK report earlier this week that he had resigned from Sentebale, saying he and Seeiso were “in shock” and “truly heartbroken” to be stepping down.

Harry and Seeiso helped establish Sentebale in Lesotho in 2006 after the son of King Charles III visited the southern African country during his gap year. Sentebale means “forget-me-not” in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, Harry said in his statement about stepping down. Harry travelled to Africa last year to support the organization and in December attended an event for it in New York.

Harry and Seeiso said that they, too, would be sharing “all of our concerns” with the Charity Commission.

The dispute with Chandauka in part arose around a decision to focus fundraising in Africa, according to the Times. There had been previous reports of strife within the organization after it moved its operations to Africa, and several key figures left.

A spokesperson for Sentebale said the charity had carried out a “restructuring” of its board as “confirmation of its strategy to redeploy senior roles to be proximate to most of the team and programs in southern Africa,” The Times reported.

But the Times reported that the trustees also had lost trust and confidence in Chandauka. The trustees who stepped down include Mark Dyer, Harry’s close friend who first introduced him to Seeiso and the country of Lesotho.