Matekane demands report on wool debacle

MASERU – PRIME Minister Sam Matekane has demanded a report from the Ministry of Agriculture detailing how much wool and mohair farmers are owed and why they were not paid.

Matekane has also demanded a report from the former Ministry of Small Business Development, which has now been merged with the Ministry of Trade.

Matekane issued the order at his meeting with farmers at the ’Manthabiseng Convention Centre on Monday as part of his public consultation mission in his first 100 days in office.

“I have been told that some wool and mohair farmers were not paid,” Matekane, himself a wool and mohair farmer, said.

“I want to know why those farmers were not paid as soon as possible,” he said.

In 2018 the Minister of Small Business Development, Chalane Phori, issued the controversial Wool and Mohair Regulations that sparked clashes between farmers and the government, to an extent that some MPs fought physically in parliament.

The regulations stated that a person would not be involved in the business of wool and mohair shearing shed, brokering, testing, trading and auctioning, processing and exporting unless they obtained a licence to do so from the Minister responsible for Small Businesses Development.

It also stated that a holder of the export licence would not export wool and mohair unless it was prepared, brokered, traded and auctioned in Lesotho.

The government came up with the regulations to shield Maseru Downing, a company owned by an Australian of Chinese descent, Stone Shi, which was running the Thaba-Bosiu Wool Centre.

Thousands of farmers who sold their wool through the company struggled to get payment until the government that was led by Dr Moeketsi Majoro, offered to pay them.

The government paid farmers about M10 million saying it would repay itself with the money it would collect from the Thaba-Bosiu Wool Centre.

Scores of farmers claim that they still have not been paid until today, which has angered Matekane.

He urged those responsible in the Ministry of Agriculture to approach their new minister, Thabo Mofosi, and disclose to him why some farmers were not paid.

“Tell us where the money is, why it was left behind,” he said.

He also said they were not part of the previous government therefore those who were present must come forward and tell the truth.

Phori told thepost that he is ready to go to Matekane’s government if invited to explain what happened “unless Matekane promises that he will make a follow-up on people I will tell him that they benefited from the wool and mohair sales”.

Farmer’s representative, ’Mathabo Tsepa, expressed their worries about the owed wool and mohair farmers.

“An investigation must be done as some farmers did not get their money,” Tsepa said.

She said after the investigations amicable solutions must be found so that the sector is stable.

“Some farmers are still hurting even now,” she said.

“The sector must be strengthened.”

The Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers Association spokesman, Khotsang Moshoeshoe, said many farmers are still owed for their 2018 sales.

“I remember the government once gave them M10 million. That was not enough,” Moshoeshoe said.

He said the money owed to the farmers is above M100 million “and not this paltry M10 million”.

“An investigation must be carried out to find out what exactly happened during the 2018 sale,” he said.

Nkheli Liphoto