Prince Harry‘s withdrawal from his African charity, Sentebale, has been criticized by Chief Khoabane Theko, the brother of the group’s co-founder, Prince Seeiso.
Theko voiced his disappointment with the Duke of Sussex in an interview and claimed that he misplaced curiosity within the charity after marrying Meghan Markle.
In the meantime, Sentebale chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka accused Prince Harry of “harassment” and “bullying” following his resignation.
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Chief Theko Criticizes Prince Harry’s Withdrawal From Sentebale And Loss Of Dedication To The Charity
In a current chat with The Telegraph, Chief Khoabane Theko slammed Prince Harry, suggesting the Duke’s once-strong dedication to Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 with Theko’s brother, Prince Seeiso, has light over time, particularly after his marriage to Meghan and exit from royal life.
Chief Theko remarked that Harry’s withdrawal had drained the power and spirit from the group, which the prince created to assist susceptible youngsters and younger folks in Lesotho and Botswana.
Nonetheless, regardless of the current improvement, Theko famous that Harry’s absence has been noticeable for years.
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He defined that the Duke’s final journey to Lesotho got here in October 2024, his first go to in six years. Earlier than that, he shared that Harry had visited the nation a number of occasions between 2010 and 2015 and sometimes spoke passionately about his late mom, Princess Diana’s, love for Africa, which impressed his early dedication to the trigger.
“When [Sentebale] was launched, I bear in mind his phrases fairly vividly, as a result of he was very sturdy in saying ‘my mom, this place, her ardour about Africa’ and all that,” Theko recalled. “He is a cherished determine due to his openness, however his lack of curiosity has completely killed the spirit of the Sentebale’s survival.”
He added pointedly, “I have not seen him [Prince Harry] since he acquired himself married.”
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Chief Theko Questions Prince Harry’s Exit From Sentebale And Meghan’s Absence From Lesotho
Theko famous that he had all the time seen Harry as a “very down-to-earth individual” who was not “self-indulgent” throughout his earlier visits to Lesotho, which made his current withdrawal from the group much more puzzling.
“I am shocked that he is relinquishing the [charity] at this stage when one anticipated that he would jealously guard it as a result of it is below his mom’s legacy and I assumed he would need to die for it,” Theko mentioned.
Nonetheless, the chief expressed hope that Harry may someday return to revive his function within the group.
“Perhaps, he’s ready to return after and are available repair it and get it again as a result of I don’t imagine it comes simple to him to need to give it up, like he is doing it is a bit of bit unusual for me,” he mentioned.
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The Lesotho royal additionally commented on Meghan’s absence from the area, noting that the Duchess of Sussex had by no means visited Lesotho.
“Did she by no means come to Lesotho, Meghan? No, she hasn’t. So it looks as if she’s a far-away individual for us, we have no idea about her,” he mentioned of the As Ever founder.
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The Chief Was ‘Perturbed’ When The Sussexes Visited’ Botswana However Not Lesotho’
Though Harry and Markle have traveled to a number of African nations, most notably a visit to Botswana for Meghan’s birthday in 2017, Theko expressed shock and disappointment that the couple by no means made a cease in Lesotho, given Harry’s connection to the nation.
“I used to be shocked to see them come to Botswana however not Lesotho, understanding what they’ve in Lesotho can be bringing them nearer to our shores,” he mentioned. “However they returned from Botswana and I used to be a bit of bit perturbed by that.”
Theko went on to say he had anticipated Lesotho to be a daily cease for the couple, particularly after their marriage and Harry’s continued visits to different African nations.
“I assumed they might do this extra usually,” he famous, “as a result of he is been visiting a variety of African states after their marriage.”
Prince Harry Mentioned Quitting His Charity Was ‘Devastating’
Theko’s feedback come within the wake of Harry and the whole Sentebale board stepping down from the charity in March, an end result the Duke mentioned left him feeling devastated.
In a joint assertion with co-founder Prince Seeiso, the Duke acknowledged that tensions with the group’s chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, had reached a breaking level.
“With heavy hearts, we now have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the group till additional discover, in assist of and solidarity with the board of trustees who’ve needed to do the identical,” Harry and Seeiso’s assertion learn, per the Daily Mail.
He added, “It’s devastating that the connection between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down past restore, creating an untenable state of affairs.”
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Sentebale Charity Chair Accused The Duke Of ‘Harassment’
Following Harry’s departure from Sentebale, the charity’s chairwoman, Dr. Chandauka, got here ahead with severe accusations, alleging that she’s been subjected to “harassment,” “bullying,” and even “misogynoir” by the group’s former management.
In an interview with Sky Information, Chandauka claimed that Harry and Seeiso had “unleashed” a calculated public relations effort towards her after releasing the joint assertion asserting their resignation with out her prior information or session.
“The one motive I am right here is as a result of in some unspecified time in the future, Prince Harry licensed the discharge of a dangerous piece of stories to the skin world with out informing me or my nation administrators, or my govt director,” Chandauka mentioned. “Think about what that assault has performed for me, on me and the 540 people within the Sentebale organizations and their famil[ies]? That’s an instance of harassment and bullying at scale.”
In response, a supply near the previous trustees dismissed the claims as “utterly baseless,” claiming that the ex-trustees “absolutely anticipated this publicity stunt and reached their collective determination with this in thoughts.”
