Sentebale was never meant to become a cautionary tale. Founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, the charity began with a clear and urgent purpose: to support children and young people living with HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. It was a tribute to their late mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mamahato, and a commitment to dignity, healthcare, and hope.
But in 2025, the organization finds itself in turmoil. Public trust has plummeted, founders have walked away, and fans who once donated without hesitation are now demanding answers. At the center of the storm is Sentebale’s chair, Sophie Chandauka. Her leadership has become a source of division, confusion, and serious concern. And as the Day of the African Child approaches, many long-time supporters agree on one thing: Chandauka must go.
Related | Sophie Chandauka Under Fire for Allegedly Seeking $300k from Struggling Sentebale
The Founders Walked Away For A Reason
On April 1, 2025, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso resigned from Sentebale. According to reports, the princes said they were “heartbroken” and had lost faith in the charity’s direction. They supported the board’s attempt to remove Chandauka as chair and confirmed they would raise concerns with the Charity Commission. Their exit wasn’t symbolic. It was a direct indictment of Chandauka’s leadership.
Instead of stepping aside, Chandauka responded with legal action. Rather than step down, she sued the trustees who attempted to remove her, escalating an already fractured leadership crisis. Her refusal to resign, despite losing the support of the founders and her own board, signaled something far worse than internal dysfunction—it looked like a power grab. Many media outlets, including ourselves, described it as a “hostile takeover,” and that’s exactly how it has played out.
Related | The Sophie Chandauka Sentebale Fallout Deserves Honest Scrutiny
Financial Mismanagement Followed Chandauka into Sentebale
This breakdown didn’t come out of nowhere. Public records show that Sophie Chandauka quietly resigned from the Black British Business Awards (BBBA) in June 2024, just months before Sentebale’s board began raising alarms about her leadership. At the time of her departure, BBBA was mired in serious financial distress, with £387,000 in debt, £197,000 owed to HMRC, and £462,000 in other liabilities. The organization collapsed financially and raised questions about her decision-making and accountability. Chandauka walked away as the figures worsened, leaving behind a damaged brand and unanswered questions.
Her track record at BBBA cast a long shadow over her tenure at Sentebale. Soon after assuming the role of chair in 2023, Chandauka began pushing to change the charity’s founding objective—from youth-focused HIV support in Lesotho and Botswana to a broader, climate-oriented agenda. This proposed shift confused staff and supporters alike. The move was not approved by the board and appeared to contradict the charity’s core mission.
At the same time, Chandauka reportedly hired expensive consultants—including individuals linked to her private business network—as well as friends and family members. These hires added to Sentebale’s costs at a time (over £400k) when donations were slowing and internal tensions were rising. Trustees questioned the spending, raising concerns that funds meant for children affected by HIV were being redirected toward personal or ideological priorities. Instead of course-correcting, Chandauka doubled down—leading to a full-blown governance crisis.
What happened at BBBA was a warning. What’s happening at Sentebale is the result of ignoring it.
Sophie Chandauka’s Mixed Messaging On HIV Fuels Backlash
If Sentebale needed clarity, it got contradiction instead.
Just months ago, Dr. Sophie Chandauka went on live TV and declared that “HIV and AIDS is no longer a death sentence,” arguing that Sentebale should shift its focus to wealth, health, and climate resilience in Southern Africa. But her comments ignored a grim reality: HIV remains one of the leading causes of death in the region, especially in Lesotho, where more than 23% of adults live with the virus. For longtime supporters, her dismissal of the crisis at the heart of Sentebale’s mission wasn’t just inaccurate—it was deeply alarming.
Now, in a dramatic shift, Sentebale is back online launching an urgent fundraising appeal for its HIV support clubs, spotlighting the upcoming Day of the African Child and asking donors to “double their impact.” According to the tweet, it still costs over £7,000 a month to run these clubs—and Sentebale openly credits them with helping 3,000 children and young people just last year.
**Double your impact**
— @Sentebale (@Sentebale) June 12, 2025
This week, we count down to the Day of the African Child on June 16 by spotlighting a right every child has: access to healthcare and social and emotional support.
Our Clubs provide an opportunity to exercise this right for young people living with HIV… pic.twitter.com/T0LhDA1Htf
In March, Chandauka downplayed the urgency of HIV on Sky News—now she’s fronting a campaign begging for donations to fight it.
Supporters noticed. One viral post from Mumbi Kaptere summed up the backlash: “Why should we donate to a charity under siege?” Others pointed out that Sentebale had never resorted to this kind of emergency public appeal before Chandauka’s leadership. The backlash was swift and sustained—so much so that Sentebale quietly disabled comments on the tweet. That’s not transparency. That’s damage control.
Sophie Chandauka Has Lost Donor Trust
The people are former donors, HIV advocates, and grassroots supporters who believed in Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso’s mission for nearly two decades. They gave not just money, but their trust—and now they feel betrayed.
This crisis is no longer just about mismanagement. It’s about a complete collapse of credibility. Under Sophie Chandauka’s leadership, trustees have resigned in protest or frustration. Dr. Margaret Ikpoh quit after just six days. Nerissa Naidu walked away as the crisis deepened. What’s left is a hollow board chaired by Chandauka and propped up by David Ian Rawlinson—a close ally of Prince William—whose continued presence only sharpens suspicions that Sentebale has become entangled in palace politics.
This isn’t personal. It’s about failed leadership and lost legitimacy. Sophie Chandauka no longer has the confidence of those who built, funded, and believed in Sentebale’s HIV mission. No tweet, no match-funding stunt, and no carefully curated PR campaign will fix what’s broken. For Sentebale to survive and protect the children it serves, Chandauka must step down.
Discover more from Feminegra
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Where ever the truth lies in this mess who knows but there is one thing that remains deeply distasteful. While the leaders of that country and their associates have great wealth and lavish lives why is anyone from other countries continuing to give their hard earned money when there are people in financial crisis in their own countries. Charities like this one are part of the problem and issues will never be resolved unless that country finds the solution themselves, it is the same across Africa.