Dr Claire-Anne Louise Lester

ACADEMIC PROFILE:

PhD Stellenbosch University

Ongoing Interests: Legal Sociology, Political Transitions, Transitional Justice, Capital and Labour, Development, Social Reproduction, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Discourse and Ideology, Theories of Rights and Justice

Selected Publications:

Lester, Claire-Anne. 2023. “Legalism in the Marikana Commission of Inquiry Report: Veiling “Sociological Causes” of the Massacre” South African Review of Sociology.
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Smith, Michael Nassen). 2023. From “dependency” to “decoloniality”? The enduring relevance of materialist political economy and the problems of a “decolonial” alternative. Social Dynamics: 10.1080/02533952.2023.2220588
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Smith, Michael Nassen). 2022. ‘The Contradictions of black consciousness: from Biko to Rhodes Must Fall’. Social Dynamics. 48(1)., 141-169
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Carilee Osborne). 29 December 2021. ‘Desmond Tutu Never Sold out the Liberation Struggle’. Jacobin Magazine
Lester, Claire-Anne. 2021. ‘The Hidden Rivers of Konstansie’s Heritage’, Amandla. No. 79/80
Lester, Claire-Anne. 2020. “Commissions of inquiry and the role of law: towards a materialist approach”. Social Dynamics: 1-18.
Lester, Claire-Anne, Carilee Osborne, and Michael Nassen-Smith. “Falling Rainbows Anatomy of a False Choice: student voice.”New Agenda: South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy 2017, no. 64 (2017): 36-38.
Lester, Claire-Anne. 2015. “Youth dialogue on the TRC Reflections and possibilities-the IFAA Sunday forum: youth issues.”New Agenda: South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy 2015, no. 59.: 44-45.
Claire-Anne Lester (with Anyway Chingwete), 2015. “Political Freedom and Interest have yet to translate into Mandela’s Vision of participatory democracy in Africa” Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 39

Book Chapters:

Claire-Anne Lester (with Nyamjoh, Anye-Nkwenti). 2019. “Global and African Discourses on Citizenship” in Itsuhiro Hazama, Kiyoshi Umeya & Francis B. Nyamnjoh (Eds) Citizenship in Motion: South African and Japanese Scholars in Conversation. Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group

Op-Eds

Lester, Claire-Anne. 20 September 2023. ‘The Myth of the Apolitical Commission’. Africa is a Country.
Lester, Claire-Anne. 15 August 2022. “Ten Years on – the possibility of holding Ramaphosa personally liable for the Marikana Tragedy” The Daily Maverick.
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Benjamin Fogel). 19 July 2022. ‘What does it have to do with Marikana?’ Africa is a Country
Lester, Claire-Anne. 1 July 2020. “The Rapid Reopening of the economy does not empower women”. Daily Maverick
Lester, Claire-Anne. 6 April, 2020. “Who will watch the watchmen?” Africa is A Country
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Michael Nassen Smith). 2019. “Looking Leftward at the South African Elections”. Jacobin Magazine.
Lester, Claire-Anne (with Sher, Daniel and Motsepe, Tsepo). 2016 “Streaming Basic Education: New System, Same Failures”, City Press

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