Billy Ntaote

At Letšeng Diamonds Mine in Lesotho, which is known for its record-breakingly, large and lucrative gems, a different story of value is unfolding at the mine—one of dignity, justice, and a woman’s long and painful fight to be heard.

Ntsatsi Ratlou, a security officer at the Letšeng mine, which is a subsidiary of the British-based and London Stock Exchange-listed company Gem Diamonds, has come forward with harrowing allegations of sexual harassment by her colleague, Moji Mohai. Her account also includes allegations of repeated management inaction that has left her traumatized and disillusioned.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of a disciplinary process against Mohai that was taken by mine management,  Ratlou has turned to the police and opened a case against Mohai. An Officer Commanding the Lesotho Mounted Police Service post at Letšeng, Inspector Thato Chabalala, confirmed Ratlou has opened a case of verbal sexual harassment against Mohai.

Chabalala further said his team’s investigations are at an advanced stage, but could not divulge finer details about the case.

The man at the centre of the allegations, Mohai, however,  told the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism (MNN) that he knows nothing about the sexual harassment case against him.

“Please talk to the Letšeng management about those issues. I cannot talk about that,” said Mohai.

MNN approached parent company Gem Diamonds for comment with 41 detailed questions about the case and how it was handled. On April 28, Group Financial Controller and Company Secretary Kiki Constantopoulos told MNN that any allegations of sexual harassment within Gem Diamonds or at an operational level are treated seriously and handled with the sensitivity that the circumstances inevitably require.

Constantopoulos said MNN’s questions were discussed with Letšeng’s management, and Gem Diamonds had, on the back of MNN’s inquiry, requested a report about Ratlou’s case.

“While we are confident that the complaint was addressed in a manner compliant with Letšeng’s policies and with due regard for the applicable labour legislation in Lesotho, we will review the report requested from management,” Constantopoulos said.

She further told MNN, “We reserve our rights in their entirety and will not hesitate to respond appropriately to any claims that are misleading, defamatory and/or inaccurate insofar as they relate to Letšeng and/or Gem Diamonds”.

Letšeng’s Communications Specialist Tšepo Hlojeng, in response to questions, told MNN that, “We are aware that Gem Diamonds has issued you a preliminary response confirming that a full review of the matter has commenced and that an appropriate response will be made once complete. In the circumstances, Letšeng cannot offer any other comments at this stage”.

On May 7, Constantopoulos contacted  MNN to say that Gem Diamonds had concluded its internal review of Ratlou’s case.

“We are satisfied that the complaint in question was addressed in a fair and reasonable manner, and in line with Letšeng’s internal policies and the relevant labour laws of Lesotho. The complaint, as reported, related to a verbal interaction between the parties concerned in 2023. A disciplinary hearing was conducted, appropriate sanctions were applied, and additional measures were implemented to prevent recurrence. As such, we consider the matter closed and have no further comment,” stated Constantopoulos.

On May 12, Hlojeng told MNN: “Further to our previous correspondence, Letšeng Diamonds is aware that Gem Diamonds has issued you a conclusive response on this matter, and as such, Letšeng equally considers the matter closed and have no further comment to give”.

Hlojeng added: “We however assure you that we take all allegations—especially those relating to harassment—extremely seriously and Letšeng maintains multiple internal and external channels through which employees can raise concerns or report misconduct, including anonymously. We therefore do not engage on such matters through the media, out of respect for due process and the privacy of all involved. Again, and of necessity we reserve Letšeng rights and those of its employees in their entirety”. 

View an interactive Timeline of this story here

In interviews with MNN, Ratlou explains that the harassment by Mohai began in March  2023, shortly after she took up a position in the mines’ security department. It was here that she met Mohai, who Ratlou describes as an established figure in the security department team who allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual advances and psychological manipulation over a few months until she officially complained about it in July 2023 to her direct supervisor, Mokone Mothabeng. Ratlou told MNN that Mothabeng’s response to her first official complaint against Mohai was to do nothing except to tell her that  Mohai denied her accusations of verbal sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances.

Mothabeng did not respond to questions MNN sent to him through WhatsApp inbox. Instead, he seemingly mistakenly forwarded this request back to MNN and, in a few seconds, deleted the request he had forwarded without responding to questions.

In setting out her version of events to MNN, Ratlou explained that Mohai, with whom she worked closely, began making crude, sexually suggestive remarks, first about other women, and eventually directed the unwanted and explicit sexual advances toward her.

“The whole thing started towards the end of March 2023, when Mr. Mahai would make filthy remarks about other female colleagues in the security department during our discussion at any time while we were at work, and he would label them as ‘Prostitutes’ and as such, these colleagues are soon going to lure me into prostitution,” reads part of a report made by Ratlou dated September 25, 2023.

The report further reads “Early April 2023, I was sitting in the old Control room and ntate Mahai was also present, in fact we were just two of us and all of a sudden ntate Mohai said to me ‘Ke batla ho o ja uena‘ meaning I want to have sex with you. I got so annoyed and felt disrespected by the statement from Ntate Mohai and I warned ntate Mohai that I don’t like the kind of language and utterance he makes to me in the workplace”.

“Some time around July 2023, we were in the control room at Recovery Security area, and he said to me, ‘I want to have sex with you in exchange for my M200,00, which you owe me”.

Ratlou says Mohai was suggesting she should “repay” a vehicle lift with sex, amid her having paid him through an eWallet transaction the M200.00 she owed him.

But later Mohai demanded to know how much she would charge him, prompting her to snap back, “I am not a prostitute”. 

Ratlou alleges that despite her rejections and brief apology, the behaviour she described continued, and she felt there were no adequate consequences.

Following Ratlou’s verbal report to her supervisor and following Mohai’s verbal admission of guilt, Ratlou claims she was then put under pressure by senior colleagues to reconcile and  shake hands with her alleged abuser in a so-called “peace meeting” following Mohai’s alleged verbal admission of guilt.

Ratlou refused to drop charges of sexual harassment against Mohai, and the matter was escalated to upper management.  Ratlou says she expected justice but, instead, had her integrity questioned and her trauma dismissed.

Letšeng’s Operations Director downgraded the initial verdict and reduced the sanction 

When Ratlou had finally registered her sexual harassment case in writing on September 25, 2023, not much happened until 2024.

Ratlou says it was only sometime in 2024 when a newly appointed security Manager, Advocate Habofanoe Mabathoana, summoned her to his office and inquired about the fate of the sexual harassment case, asking if she would like him to proceed with the prosecution of the sexual harassment case she had reported. She agreed, saying that her working conditions had been unbearable since she refused to be forced into a reconciliation with Mohai.

This new process culminated in a disciplinary hearing, chaired by a maintenance superintendent at the company, Grant Francis, who returned in October with a finding that reportedly recommended Mohai’s dismissal in line with Letšeng’s own Disciplinary Code Procedures on sexual misconduct.

But in an appeal, the dismissal recommendation was overturned by Director of Operations, Gideon Scheepers, who downgraded the sanction to a one-month suspension without pay, coupled with a final written warning. Scheepers was asked for comment by MNN via email, which was confirmed as delivered. He did not respond.

Ratlou, says she was never given formal communication of the outcome and only learned about the downgraded punishment through word of mouth.

In Ratlou’s communication with her department’s head, Letšeng’s Security Manager Advocate Habofanoe Mabathoana urged her to shift blame from Mohai to her supervisor, Mothabeng, despite her insistence on pursuing the original complaint.

In October 2024, Ratlou told Mabathoana she would like to make a follow-up on her dissatisfaction expressed regarding Mohai’s disciplinary hearing outcome.

She added she strongly felt her sanity at work is seriously compromised through emails seen by MNN.

“Following the feedback that you gave me on Thursday the August 22, 2024, it got me thinking about my mental sanity at work, may you kindly help me have it in writing signed by you mongaka [my boss] and Gideon Scheepers as you have indicated that he is the one who said you should give me the feedback on the ruling he made about my case” reads part of the communication seen by MNN.

She further asked Mabathoana what Letšeng’s policy was regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.

“I feel like ntate Moji Mohai has been given an exemption, and I would like to know why? “What do Letšeng Diamonds’ policies and procedures say about dishonesty, especially for someone who is a security personnel.

“Is it ok for Letšeng Diamonds employees to be harassed, be ill-treated by their colleagues, and to suffer at the hands of their supervisors.

“I would like to know the action that was taken against Mothabeng, the way he treated me, it’s stated on my statement, as well as Moji Mohai’s witnesses.

“What is your take on my mental health as mongaka [My boss], I’m still emotionally hurt, nobody has ever taken an initiative for me go for counseling,” I have suffered for almost [a] year with my colleagues slandering my name and ntate Moji Mohai recruiting everyone against me to make my life miserable at work,” reads questions possed to Mabathoana by Ratlou.

In response, Mabathoana said, “…please note the following clarification: I believe the issue of sexual harassment was clearly canvassed and addressed by the initial disciplinary hearing as well as the appeal.

“All due process was followed by the company to arrive at what is perceived to be the correct sanction for the perpetrator.

“As far as the procedural and substantive elements of the case are concerned, I consider the matter closed”.

Mabathoana further told Ratlou, “We discussed verbally that you are at liberty to file a formal grievance against Mothabeng if you feel that he has mistreated you”.

Mabathoana added that he had already briefed the Human Resources department about the possibility that Ratlou might request to file a grievance against her supervisor Mothabeng.

He also added that “I am really sorry that this matter has affected your mental health. It is a serious condition that I do not take for granted. I have spoken to the clinic to provide you with the necessary therapy should you so request. Please let me know if you are ready so we can make the necessary arrangements”. Mabathoana did not respond to questions that MNN sent to him via email and WhatsApp.

Request for transfer denied

On  22 December 2024, Ratlou requested to be transferred to another department to avoid working closely with her perpetrator. 

ON January 23, 2025, Scheepers chaired the grievance hearing and, according to Ratlou, he told her that her request to be transferred out of Mohai’s department — a plea grounded in trauma and workplace hostility — “lacked substance”. 

Ratlou also says Scheepers explained in the hearing about her transfer request that “Mohai is a good guy who loves his job” and that Ratlou herself was considered “incompetent” based on reports he claimed had been made by her supervisors. Ratlou denies knowledge of such reports made about her alleged incompetence.

“He told me not to waste their time with issues that lack substance,” Ratlou recalls. “I felt humiliated all over again.”

This, Ratlou said, was after Scheepers had asked her whether everything was written in the grievance form she had filed.

And when she nodded that everything was written down, Scheepers responded, “If this is everything, your grievance lacks substance. Add something of substance and not waste our time”.

But she responded that there is nothing more to add than to demand to be separated from Mohai.

Ratlou alleges that when she pursued Scheepers further, asking him to provide his ruling in writing, he but he angrily snapped and allegedly asked her if she is expecting him to waste his time with something that lacks substance.

Ratlou says she believes the record omitted key allegations she raised. MNN reviewed the document, which does not include some of the points she says she raised. 

A copy of the grievance hearing record and outcome signed by Scheepers on February 19, 2025 seen by MNN reads: “As Chairman of the grievance hearing I feel content that Ms. Ratlou had sufficient opportunity to state her problem and provide good basis for her request for transfer out of the security department or for management to consider transferring Mr Moji out of the security department.

“I am not convinced that any such transfer would provide her with the sought relief, which is not to meet or interact with Mr. Moji, since they would still be working together

on the remotely located Mine site where employees live together, are often transported

together, often enjoy meals, and often attend work functions, meetings, and after-hours activities together”.

Scheepers further states that “It is clear to me from their working history that she still feels offended and uncomfortable to be in contact with him”.

But he adds an option to be removed from Mohai remains for Ratlou to apply for any suitable vacancies outside of the Security Department, but she would contest with any other candidates.

Scheepers concluded by saying: “In the interim, management should pursue the best available professional mediation options to resolve the discomfort between the two adult individuals [Ratlou and Mohai] as this will provide the only longer-term relief for her as an individual, and for the Company to re-establish a productive and harmonious working environment in the Security Department. Both Ms. Ratlou and Mr. Moji should be fully engaged in this process of reconciliation”.

This isn’t the only instance of disturbing institutional behavior.

Complainant denied access to case records

Furthermore, Human Resources personnel—most notably IR Superintendent Relebohile Ntene—appeared to have initially shown empathy, encouraging Ratlou to pursue the case, but later joined in pressuring her to reconcile and even questioned her seriousness about undergoing counseling, counseling she had requested.

When her attempt to be separated from Mohai had failed, Ratlou says she contacted Ntene asking for a record of the proceedings of her sexual harassment case, but she was denied access.

In a communication seen by MNN with a March 12, 2025 date stamp, Ntene told Ratlou “Unfortunately, disciplinary records are not shared with witnesses”.

Ntene added that only the complainant and the accused employee are entitled to the records.

Ratlou says she is dissatisfied with the manner in which the case was handled, as it took a long time to be brought before a disciplinary hearing since she instituted the case in 2023 and only to be heard and decided on around October 2024.

Part of Ntene’s response to Rartlou’s inquiry reads: “As you were not a complainant but a witness in the case, we cannot share such records with you. All we can confirm is that Ntate Mohai [perpetrator] was subjected to a fair disciplinary process and was given an appropriate sanction, which he served.

“It is rather concerning that you seem not interested in peace-building efforts, as you have since been expected to indicate your willingness to engage in professional counselling and mediation for reconciliation purposes. We have engaged with Ntate Mohai, and he is ready, waiting on you.

“You have been advised of available options to address your issues for your consideration. We are waiting for your response to indicate your intention whether or not to engage in the counselling and reconciliation process proposed to you and Ntate Mohai. Please note that this grievance has been finalized as it has gone through all the internal steps”.

MNN tried to contact Ntene via email and WhatsApp for comment and for an explanation on how Ratlou was not a complainant in the case, but she did not respond.

MNN has made efforts to contact all individuals and companies names in this report. Some did not respond to our requests for comment.