A journalist has argued that Prince Harry should have stepped down from his charity role “in disgrace” much earlier. The Duke of Sussex recently left the African Parks board, ending his decade-long association with the wildlife conservation organization. Harry first became involved with the NGO after helping with a large-scale elephant relocation operation in Malawi.
Journalist claims Prince Harry should’ve distanced himself from African Parks charity
Commentator James Walker believes Prince Harry should have “resigned in disgrace” from the governing board of the embattled conservation charity African Parks. Speaking on Wednesday’s episode of the Daily Expresso podcast, Walker shared his views on Harry’s decision to step down as he and host JJ Anisiobi discussed the Duke of Sussex’s departure.
Weighing in on the controversy, Walker said, “When you hear about this stuff and how long it’s been going on for, you should be resigning in disgrace. [Harry] should be saying: ‘I’m not touching that with a barge pole. That is a failed entity. We’re going nowhere near it.’”
He went on to say, “But no. He’s still saying he’s going to ‘support their mission’. And again, this Caroline Pearce, executive director of Survival International, goes on to say: ‘His departure doesn’t undo that record.’”
James concluded his observation with, “She alleged that African Parks was aware of the abuses for years, but it was only after Survival complained to Harry that the charity finally commissioned an investigation. Well, she’s got a point.”
On Monday, August 24, it was revealed that Prince Harry had stepped down as a board member of the wildlife charity. The conservation group has acknowledged that its rangers committed human rights abuses against members of the semi-nomadic Baka community in Congo-Brazzaville.
African Parks has since stated that it has strengthened its safeguarding measures both at Odzala-Kokoua National Park and across the organization as a whole. The admission came after an independent human rights probe into claims that guards employed and paid by the charity had beaten and tortured Indigenous people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
For the unversed, Harry served as the charity’s president for six years before joining its board of directors in 2023. His formal ties to the organization will officially end after a board meeting on September 30, 2026. However, his spokesperson said he remains supportive of the group’s broader conservation mission.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.