Latest news with #Zimbabwe-born
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
ENG vs ZIM Test: Skipper Craig Ervine urges Zimbabwe to play the game not the occasion against England
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine wants his side to focus on the task at hand rather than the sense of occasion when it faces England in a Test for the first time in over 20 years. This week's four-day match at Trent Bridge marks the first Test between the two nations since 2003, a series that featured James Anderson's debut and Nasser Hussain's final victory as England skipper. But while Ervine acknowledges the significance of the match, he knows thinking about it too much won't help his side. 'As a group it's an honour and a privilege to get the opportunity,' Ervine told a pre-match press conference at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. 'Some of us have been playing a long time and have never had the chance to come and play England. The group is really excited and everyone is taking it in. It's probably not going to sink in until quite a while after the Test so we're just trying to enjoy every moment of it. But a lot of the chat has been about trying to stay focused on the basics, not worrying too much about the outside noise, the crowd, the occasion.' Ervine's side is being mentored this week by Zimbabwe-born Gary Ballance, who played 23 Tests for England before returning to his homeland for a brief second crack at international cricket before retiring in 2023. A former Yorkshire captain and housemate of Joe Root, Ballance left Headingley in the aftermath of the racism scandal that engulfed the club. He admitted using racist language towards Azeem Rafiq, but said the spinner had been his 'best mate in cricket'. 'Gary is fairly down to earth, he just gets on with it,' said Ervine. 'What he brings to this group is a lot of clarity in these conditions. He's got a lot of knowledge of this ground and did exceptionally well when he played here. He's been really good.'
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joy as Daily Mail owner's son is engaged to Alexandra, girl he met through a love of horses
Six years after meeting on an adventurous horseback safari in Kenya, Vere Harmsworth, elder son of Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, and Alexandra Wood are engaged. Vere, 30, and Zimbabwe-born Alexandra, 27, who is known as Mwana, or 'little one' in the Shona language, plan to marry next year. The news was being celebrated last night. 'We are over the moon and delighted Mwana is joining our family,' said Lady Rothermere. 'It is like having another daughter. She is a lovely, gorgeous girl.' Vere, whose father Jonathan is chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc, publishers of the Daily Mail, MailOnline and The Mail on Sunday, was educated at Eton and St Peter's College, Oxford, where he read history. After working for BCG, the global management consulting group, he joined the family firm, learning all aspects of the publishing business. He has held a string of senior roles and is currently chief commercial officer for DMG Media. Mwana, the daughter of tobacco farmers, was educated at Peterhouse Girls, one of the top independent schools in southern Africa. She is a project manager in the construction industry and currently completing a master's in construction economics at University College London. But it was their shared love of horses and riding that was to lead to romance. Alexandra was hired as one of the guides for a Rothermere family holiday in Kenya's wild and beautiful Masai Mara region – and the couple have been inseparable ever since. Alexandra rides and plays polo as does Vere, who, in 2013, led Eton to a thumping victory over rivals Harrow. He was part of another memorable winning team when Oxford beat Cambridge in the 2015 Varsity Polo Match. The daughter of Duncan Wood and Hilary Campbell, Alexandra is the youngest of four – hence her nickname. She has three older brothers: Tommy who's based in Marondera, south of Harare; Hugo who lives in Zambia, and James, a farmer in Herefordshire. She also has two half-siblings, Emily and Victoria. This weekend, Alexandra was sporting an exquisite marquise cut diamond ring chosen by Vere. The proposal was conducted in time-honoured tradition, after some meticulous planning. On Saturday, despite indifferent weather, he asked her on a walk to Win Green, a beauty spot close to the Rothermere family country home, with views over the Wiltshire countryside. It was there that Vere dropped to one knee. 'I am thrilled that she said "yes", and so excited and happy about this next chapter in our lives,' Vere said last night. 'I'm so very lucky that she is taking me on.' The couple share a home in Notting Hill, west London with their one-year-old Cairn terrier, Toto. It's thought life won't change too much – at least to start with.
Telegraph
16-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Prince Harry ‘lost interest' in African charity after marrying Meghan
The Duke of Sussex lost interest in the African country where his Sentebale charity was founded after marrying the Duchess of Sussex and moving to the US, it has been claimed. The Duke's fading attention 'killed the spirit' of the charity after he married Meghan in 2018 and emigrated in 2020, according to the brother of Prince Seeiso, his co-founder. Sentebale was founded by the pair in 2006 to honour the legacy of the Duke's mother Diana, Princess of Wales. But last month they both stepped down following a string of allegations from Sophie Chandauka, the charity's chairman. The Duke's last visit to Lesotho, in October 2024, was his first in six years. He used to come more frequently, making four trips between June 2010 and the end of 2015. Chief Khoabane Theko, Prince Seeiso's brother, said he was 'perturbed' when the Duke and Duchess took holidays in Africa but failed to visit Lesotho. Speaking to The Telegraph a few minutes' drive from Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre in Thaba Bosiu, the chief suggested the Duke of Sussex could have visited 'more often'. He said: 'When [Sentebale] was launched, I remember his words quite vividly, because he was very strong in saying 'my mother, this place, her passion about Africa' and all that.' The chief, who was not aware Prince Harry had visited Lesotho twice since his marriage, said: 'He's a loved figure because of his openness, but his loss of interest has totally killed the spirit of the Sentebale's survival, I think so – this is my thinking.' He added: 'I haven't seen him [Prince Harry] since he got himself married.' The row over Sentebale erupted after Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born corporate finance lawyer, accused the charity's board of harassment, bullying and 'misogynoir' – a form of misogyny against black woman. She also claimed the Duke of Sussex tried to use the charity as 'an extension of the Sussex PR machine' to support his wife's public reputation. In response, the Duke said the events had been 'heartbreaking to witness', adding that 'such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades' into the shared goal of supporting young people and children in southern Africa. On Wednesday, it emerged that the charity is facing further upheaval after a newly appointed member of the board quit amid the 'unexpected and sustained' media attention. Dr Margaret Ikpoh, an East Yorkshire-based GP, was named a trustee last month following the mass resignations of Prince Harry and the board. However, she stepped down earlier this month in the wake of intense scrutiny prompted by the bitter boardroom row. A Sentebale spokesman said: 'This is a particularly difficult time to have joined the organisation, given the unexpected sustained and intrusive media attention. 'She has chosen to step down out of respect for her family and other professional commitments, which we fully understand, respect and support. We deeply appreciate her interest in Sentebale over a long period of time and look forward to staying in touch.' Chief Theko, who is also chief whip of the upper chamber of Lesotho's parliament, said it was 'strange' that the Duke had himself left the charity over the row. He said: 'I'm surprised that he's relinquishing the [charity] at this stage when one expected that he would jealously guard it, because it's under his mother's legacy and I thought he would want to die for it,' he said. 'Unless, maybe, he is prepared to come after and come fix it and get it back because I do not believe it comes easy to him to want to give it up, like he's doing – it's a little bit strange for me.' The Charity Commission is investigating the governance of the organisation following Ms Chandauka's allegations. Last month, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso stepped down from the charity alongside the board of trustees. In a joint statement, they claimed Ms Chandauka had been asked to resign but she had refused, leaving the relationship between trustees and the chair of the board broken down 'beyond repair'. Ms Chandauka took aim at the Duchess of Sussex, with whom she shared an awkward interaction at a polo match in April 2024 where she appeared to tell Ms Chandauka to move away from her husband. The moment did not go unnoticed and Ms Chandauka has claimed Prince Harry asked her to release a statement 'in support' of the Duchess. But Ms Chandauka refused, saying last month: 'I said no, we're not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine.' Sentebale's website describes the organisation as working 'with young people and their communities to create sustainable solutions that address issues of health, wealth inequity, and climate resilience in Lesotho and Botswana'. The Duke was inspired to set up Sentebale, which means 'forget-me-not' in Sesotho, the local language, after spending two months in Lesotho during his gap year in 2004. He has held a number of fundraising polo events for the charity and attended a reception at a New York gallery to raise money for it as recently as December. Founded in memory of the Duke's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, the charity supports children affected by HIV in the two countries – a cause close to the Princess's heart. Prince Harry's last visit in October was described by his office as involving a 'series of impactful events'. Travelling with Prince Seeiso and Ms Chandauka, the Duke took part in a 'fireside chat' in which he praised the charity's work so far. Prince Harry also met the country's King, Queen and prime minister during the trip, which he took without his wife. It was the first visit the Duke had made to the landlocked, mountainous country since the Sussexes stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. Before then, he took a solo trip to the country in June 2018 – a month after his wedding to the Duchess – in what was described as a 'private trip' by Kensington Palace. 'She seems like a far-away person to us' Since then, Prince Harry has been busy with writing his best-selling memoirs, Spare, raising his two children and engaging in various legal battles against UK newspaper publishers and attempting to prove he should be entitled to police protection while in the UK. The Duchess meanwhile has been promoting her food and lifestyle brand As Ever, as well as filing a tell-all Netflix documentary with her husband and her own series With Love, Meghan. The chief said: 'Did she never come to Lesotho, Meghan? No she hasn't. So it seems like she's a far-away person for us, we do not know about her.' The couple have an affinity for Africa and have holidayed on the continent frequently, including in Botswana in 2017 to celebrate Meghan's 37th birthday. In 2019, they visited South Africa – which surrounds Lesotho – on their first royal tour. The Duchess stayed in Cape Town with their son Archie, who was then aged four months, while Prince Harry travelled to Angola, Malawi and Botswana where he visited a Sentebale project. The couple brought along a camera crew from ITV to film a documentary, in which the Duchess memorably said that 'not many people have asked if I'm okay'. 'I was a little bit perturbed' Chief Theko said: 'I was surprised to see them come to Botswana but not Lesotho, knowing what they have in Lesotho would be bringing them closer to our shores. 'But they returned from Botswana and I was a little bit perturbed by that.' Asked if he thought the couple would visit Lesotho more frequently, Chief Theko said: 'I thought they would do that more often, because he's been visiting a lot of African states after their marriage.' Prince Harry became a familiar face in the community, with Chief Theko describing him as a 'very down-to-earth person' who was not 'self-indulgent' and was 'everybody's friend'. In the months leading up to Mamohato Children's Centre being opened in the mountainous landscape of Thaba Bosiu in 2015, neighbouring residents say they were told they would be promised jobs. However, several people told The Telegraph that longer-term roles have instead been handed to applicants in other districts. One worker, a housekeeper for the charity, said she has never been given a long-term contract by Sentebale and instead relies on short-term contracts for 150 Lesotho Loti (LSL) a day – around £6. The average monthly salary in Lesotho is 11,800 LSL, the equivalent of 78 days' work for the housekeeper. 'Not treated well because of management' Speaking through a translator from her sparsely furnished concrete-block home, she said: 'I think the reason we are not treated well as workers is because of the management, not because Sentebale does not have money.' The worker was keen to remain anonymous owing to instructions given to staff following the row among the charity's board. Makeabetsoe Khomo-ea-majoe, 38, took a role as a housekeeper when the centre opened in 2015 but was not given a full-time contract. Also speaking through a translator, she said: 'If you don't go to work, either being sick or otherwise you are regarded to be absent at work therefore you can't earn anything for that day.' When asked about Prince Harry, Ms Khomo-ea-majoe said she remembered preparations for one of his visits to the centre. However, she said she and other housekeepers were instructed to stay away and inside rooms. She said she was 'disappointed' as she had been 'excited to see the Prince' and wondered if it was because her and her colleagues did not have uniforms. Eventually, her job was cut in late 2018, along with several other fellow employees. Other workers spoke of community assets they lost to the opening of the centre. 'Not serving the community' Ralebenya Khomo-ea-Majoe, the father-in-law of the former housekeeper, said the centre was 'not serving the community'. He said: 'The place was a football pitch before Sentebale came and we were told that we will still be able to access the place even after the development. 'Our kids used to play soccer there and there are some trees that the community used for firewood during funerals and ceremonies. 'We are no longer allowed to access the place at all as the community.' However, two teenagers who attended one of the centre's workshops as children praised it. Speaking at his modest home, Khitieone Lefela, remembered the three-day event he took part in as a 15-year-old. Now 18, he said: 'It was really nice and luxurious, the workshop was basically playing and singing – and the staff were all friendly.' 'They would find something that defines some talent that they can see you have. 'For some, it would be football and others might be good at singing – you came home feeling like you had grown more.' 'Not a solution to shut charity' His friend Mpoi Matjeane, now 19, who attended the same workshop said: 'We were with other kids and those taking care of us made us feel that we are kids.' Khitieone's father, Tsolo Qhomane, said: 'The kids enjoy it, they sleep in beds, they have showers. 'They [usually] wash in a bucket. So they didn't have any experience of washing in a shower.' He had applied for a job as a driver when the centre was opened – a role for which he said he was fully qualified. Like others, Mr Qhomane said it was 'not the solution' to shut the whole charity down and that it made him 'sad' to see Prince Harry step down. He added: 'He will have his reasons, he will have seen there is something wrong there. 'I don't think he is wrong because there will be reasons that he's stepped down – maybe that we won't know. 'But, yes, I find it sad, because we are seeing this rot.' Carmel Galliard, Sentebale's executive director, said: 'Sentebale did promise and continues to be committed to employing locally whenever possible. 'Consequently, all of our Mamohato Children's Centre (Sentebale – Lesotho) grounds-keeping, hospitality, catering, driving and security staff are Thaba Bosiu locals. 'Our commitment to growing a truly locally led organisation is demonstrated throughout the organisation, with the most significant change being a relocation of the most senior roles, including the executive director role, to southern Africa.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry faces growing claims of ‘racist and colonial' approach
In his memoir 'Spare,' Prince Harry rhapsodized about his love for Africa, writing about a life-changing moment when encountering a leopard outside his tent in Botswana's Okavango Delta and asserting that he may be British but his 'soul' belongs to the continent. That may be all well and good for Harry, but some Africans affected by his charitable endeavors began calling him out in recent years for harboring a 'racist and colonial' approach to environmental conservation with one of his signature charities, African Parks. That organization has been mired in allegations that employees at one of the 22 parks it manages across the continent have perpetrated human rights abuses against Indigenous people. The Zimbabwe-born chairwoman of Harry's Lesotho-based AIDS nonprofit Sentebale has suggested that he and other trustees were participants in an organization rife with 'abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny (and) misogynoir (prejudice against against Black women.)' The chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka, also said that Sentebale was a 'vanity project' for Harry and the other trustees, after they announced that they were stepping down over a leadership dispute with her. The racism and misogyny accusations are sure to sting Harry, who has tried to present himself as enlightened on racial matters since meeting and marrying his biracial American wife, Meghan Markle, and decrying the racism directed at her when she married into the British royal family. Certainly, the controversies surrounding both of Harry's African charities offer 'a stark reminder' of the complexities of certain kinds of global philanthropic work for a public figure like him — especially when the work 'intersects with issues of power and race,' said the Daily Beast's European editor Tom Sykes. It's not just a matter of Harry promoting certain lofty principles, he also needs to pay attention and be ready 'to act' upon upon shifting political and cultural forces in countries in which he doesn't live, Sykes added. Harry recently experienced the 'heartbreak' of stepping down from Sentebale's board of trustees, as he said in a statement. Harry and his royal friend in Lesotho, Prince Seeiso, co-founded the organization in honor of their late mothers nearly 20 years ago. Speaking of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, he said that his life-changing encounter with the leopard took place in 1999, two years after her death. As a then-14-year-old, Harry said he was convinced that the leopard was bringing a message from his mother that 'all will be well.' Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English, who accompanied Harry on several trips to Africa over the years on behalf of Sentebale, tried to analyze the breakdown of the relationship between the prince and his beloved organization, which he founded to help children affected by poverty and the AIDS crisis. During one of those visits, English said the prince spoke passionately about helping children and making a difference in their lives — but she also surmised that he founded Sentebale to make a difference in his own life. 'You could hear the intensity in his voice, an almost desperate determination to be taken seriously on this issue, to prove that the infamous party prince (then age 21) had a more weighty purpose in life,' English wrote. English suggested that Harry lost his focus on Sentebale after he married Meghan and they decided to leave British royal life, move to the United States and put their energy into becoming media moguls and other shared philanthropic efforts. Harry visited Lesotho last year for a charity polo match on behalf of Sentebale. But before that, he had last visited six years earlier. 'It has long been clear that something wasn't quite right (with Sentebale),' wrote English, who said that the organization had been initially engulfed in a scandal over funding for programs tending to go to salaries and perks for executives. While the organization righted itself, talk of behind-the-scenes conflict has 'never been far away,' she said. Now, those conflicts have exploded into a global news story. The Times UK recently reported that Harry and other trustees had lost trust and confidence in Chandauka. The dispute with Chandauka also arose around a decision to focus fundraising in Africa, according to the Times. Chandauka said she was trying to raise concerns about problems in the organization, and she has filed a lawsuit with the High Court in the U.K., where the nonprofit is registered. The Charity Commission in the UK, which registers and regulates nonprofits in England and Wales, confirmed to the Times UK that they are investigating Chandauka's claims. Meanwhile, Harry also faces controversy with African Parks, a nonprofit that manages 22 parks in 12 African countries. In recent years, Survival International, a leading human rights group, has slammed both Harry and African Parks for failing to address a litany of alleged 'horrific' abuses committed by African Parks rangers against Indigenous people in a national park in the Republic of Congo. After Harry joined the board of directors for African Parks in 2023, an investigative Daily Mail news report alleged that local Baka people in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Congo basin had been the victims of rape, torture and countless other 'atrocities.' Following the report, Survival International called on the Duke of Sussex to resign from African Parks and said it had alerted him to the alleged abuse. Harry didn't resign, and Caroline Pearce, the executive director for Survival International, said in September that concerns about the alleged abuses 'have not been resolved.' Survival International said that African Parks has failed to address a likely root cause of the abuse: 'A racist and colonial fortress conservation model.' The Daily Beast's Sykes reported that the controversy surrounding African Parks is part of a broader pattern of human rights concerns associated with conservation in Africa. Critics say that Indigenous communities are too often evicted, marginalized, or abused in the name of environmental protection. While African Parks announced in January 2024 that it had launched an investigation in the alleged abuses, it has not yet published the results of the investigation, Sykes reported. A spokesperson for Harry couldn't say whether there were any updates on the investigation, while Survival International also isn't aware of any updates either. Sykes said that Harry's supporters will argue that he inevitably faces risk and challenges being involved in charitable work with organizations like Sentebale and African Parks. But both Sykes and English also suggested one way Harry has made himself vulnerable. He's been trying to operate without the institutional support of the royal family — where experienced private secretaries and press officers could vet potential controversies.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Harry and Meghan have been out-victimed
There is an irony at the heart of the row that has engulfed Sentebale, Prince Harry's African charity. Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed chairman of Sentebale in mid-2023, has accused the charity's board of bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir – a form of prejudice directed at black women – in an official complaint sent to the Charity Commission. A source close to the trustees, who resigned en masse this month alongside the Duke of Sussex and his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, claimed Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, alleged racism when she realised things were not going her way. 'She's definitely playing the race card and openly,' the source said. 'This is her plan. As soon as anyone turns against her, she brings the race card in and she comes for you.' Sound familiar? Didn't Harry and Meghan use exactly the same tactic when faced with criticism?Not only did the couple allege that the royals themselves were racist but that headlines that didn't cast the Duchess, particularly, in an overwhelmingly positive light, must have been fuelled by 'unconscious bias'? This false narrative was given rocket fuel by social media trolls, known as the Sussex Squad, who accused journalists like me of being 'racist', 'white supremacist' and 'a Nazi' simply for questioning Meghan's 'truth'. There was no evidence whatsoever to back up allegations of racism – but they were cast around like confetti, anyway. Even former Commons speaker John Bercow jumped on the bandwagon, insisting in 2020: 'I want to say that I believe unequivocally that Meghan has been the victim of explicit and obnoxious racism. I am crystal clear about that. She has been subjected to racism, sexism and misogyny.' Neither Ms Chandauka nor the Sussexes are the victims here. The real victims of this unseemly war of words are the AIDS and HIV afflicted children of Lesotho who rely on Sentebale's support. Harry and Meghan are in no position to decry the fact that we now live in a world where, if a woman of colour is called out she is automatically a victim of 'misogynoir' and anyone who disagrees is a racist. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
