…as Mantsonyane farmers allege association boss is protecting broker at their expense
Moorosi Tsiane
THE simmering dispute between wool and mohair farmers and South African broker BKB has erupted into a fresh confrontation, with farmers accusing Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers Association (LNWMGA) chairperson, Mokuenehi Thinyane, of using his influence to keep them tied to the company despite months-long payment delays.
The latest showdown erupted at Ha Mahloko shearing shed in Mantsonyane this week, where disgruntled farmers who say they have been waiting almost a year for payment attempted to ditch BKB in favour of newly established Baokunyaoda Wool and Mohair Brokers.
Baokunyaoda, which operates from Maseru Industrial Area, is said to pay farmers instantly when they submit their fibre to the company.
Instead of an easy BKB exit, the farmers claim they were met with resistance from the association representatives and Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition officials at district level, who allegedly warned them against joining the new broker and threatened to give BKB clients priority at the shearing shed.
This despite the Minister of Agriculture, Selibe Mochoboroane, recognising Baokunyaoda as a credible wool and mohair broker. On 24 July 2026, Mr Mochoboroane had said Baokunyaoda, BKB and another South African broker OVK were the only accredited sales agents in the country.
It is not clear whether Mr Mochoboroane is aware of the latest developments as his mobile phone rang unanswered by the time of going to print.
Nonetheless, the farmers now suspect their attempt to leave BKB is being deliberately frustrated because, they allege, Mr Thinyane has personal interests linked to the South African broker.
Mr Thinyane, however, refused to respond to the allegations when contacted for comment.
“I am not going to comment on anything. You have let people say many things about me in your newspaper. Do not ever call my phone again,” he said.
The confrontation follows growing frustration among Ha Mahloko farmers over delayed payments for wool and mohair they sold through BKB.
One farmer, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said some farmers had been waiting almost a year for their money.
“They keep making excuses that our money is delayed because of foot-and-mouth disease and that the wool has to go through so many processes because of the disease. But, surprisingly, other farmers who are using different brokers have already received their money,” the farmer said.
The farmer said complaints to BKB had yielded little relief, with the company allegedly dismissing claims that other brokers were paying farmers faster.
“When we raised that with BKB, they brushed it off as lies. But we have seen with our own eyes that other farmers have received their money,” he said.
With frustration mounting, the farmers decided to cut ties with BKB and move to Baokunyaoda, a new wool and mohair broker reportedly operated by a Chinese national.
But the farmers claim their decision immediately triggered resistance.
According to the farmer, government and association officials warned them that Baokunyaoda was a scam and that they risked losing their money if they moved away from BKB.
“The farmers were intimidated and told that the new broker is a scam and that they are going to scam us, just as SGK did. But after we insisted that we were leaving BKB, they then told us we would not shear first. They said BKB farmers would shear before us,” he said.
The farmers say the alleged decision could have serious consequences because delaying shearing could disrupt their production cycle and affect the quality of their wool.
“That decision is going to affect our production because it means if they take long to finish their batches, we are going to shear late, and that might affect the quality of our wool,” the farmer said.
He further alleged that the resistance was not simply about protecting farmers from a potentially risky broker, but was instead linked to interests surrounding BKB.
“We have learnt that the association’s chairperson is somehow benefiting from this BKB deal. Hence, they are all hell-bent on ensuring that they do not lose the clients,” he alleged.
“Unfortunately, this deal is no longer benefiting us as farmers. It only benefits certain people, including the chairperson of the association and his wingmen at district level.”
Another farmer, Khotso Lephomotsa, said the dispute had effectively split Ha Mahloko farmers into two camps — those remaining with BKB and those who had decided to move to Baokunyaoda.
“BKB has been giving us the run-around when they are supposed to give us our money. It is almost a year now for some farmers without getting their money, and unfortunately, this is our source of livelihood,” Mr Lephomotsa said.
He said the payment delays were pushing some farmers into desperate measures, including selling their sheep simply to survive.
“Some farmers, in a bid to survive, end up selling some of their sheep. That is not good for us because we need these sheep to produce wool. Where will we get the wool if we sell them because of hunger?” he asked.
Mr Lephomotsa said farmers were particularly angered by what they regarded as inconsistent explanations for the delayed payments.
“They keep making excuses about foot-and-mouth disease, but it is surprising because some farmers using different brokers have gotten their money,” he said.
He said the farmers had initially agreed to leave BKB collectively, but some backed down after allegedly being warned by Ministry of Agriculture officials.
“We had initially agreed, all of us as wool and mohair farmers who use Ha Mahloko shearing shed, that we were leaving BKB. But some chickened out after some government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture at district level intimidated them, saying the new broker is a scam,” Lephomotsa said.
“We asked them whether this company was not properly registered, but they could not answer us.”
According to Mr Lephomotsa, agriculture officials were at the shearing shed on Monday and allegedly repeated the warnings.
“They even went as far as saying that if we ditch BKB, then we must know that BKB clients will be given first priority when shearing, while we will shear only after they are done,” he said.
The farmers now fear that the dispute could go beyond delayed payments, potentially disrupting the shearing process and placing further pressure on already struggling wool and mohair producers.
Contacted for comment, BKB Lesotho branch, Lihoai Consultancy, Manager Christopher Thinyane denied claims that BKB had refused to pay farmers.
“From July, borders were opened and we started to ship, and other farmers whose accounts had no problems have been paid.
“Those who have not been paid, it is because their accounts had problems. They are just making excuses because they wanted to leave.
“Those who were affected are the ones who sheared late in December. Others were not affected. They are allowed to sell to whoever they want to sell to and the law even agrees with that,” Christopher said yesterday.
Christopher is Mr Thinyane’s son. His appointment to the helm of BKB has previously been questioned, with allegations that his father’s links to BKB influenced the appointment.
However, Christopher has strongly denied the claims, saying he was appointed on merit.