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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

And one more, because there is so much joy in it! #Sundowns #CAFChamps

John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

The party in Tshwane is going to be epic! Supporters flooded the arrivals terminal at OR Tambo when they came back and has been continuing today.

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

If you want to hear about the #Lesotho Highlands Water Project ((#LHWP) and its impact on communities in #SouthAfrica and Lesotho, I am giving a talk at 1300 South African time (0700 USA Eastern) tomorrow (7 May). Please join!

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Lesotho! Book launch planned for 3 March at NUL in #Roma. Come hear about the history of the #Lesotho Highlands #Water Project (#LHWP).

Book cover showing a reservoir in the mountains with the title: "White Gold and Thirsty Communities: The Cold War, Apartheid, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project"

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

#Botswana taking #gold and #bronze in the men's 400 at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships is just amazing. A country of 2.5 million. 2 of the top 3 (and 3 of top 8) men in the world right now at 400 meters. #Pula!

400 meter men's championship results from the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships showing runners from Botswana taking 1st, 3rd, and 8th in the finals

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Academic year starting? Wondering what you want/need to write? How about a chapter on the legacy of James Ferguson? CfP for special issue of Anthropology Southern Africa on his scholarly legacy and how to extend his work. #Lesotho, #Zambia, #gender, #Labour, #Modernity

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Just received the cover for my latest book! Coming in February 2026 to a bookstore near you in Southern Africa (available in North America and Europe, too), but published in RSA. Exciting stuff!

A book jacket with a picture of mountains and a reservoir. The title reads: White Gold and Thirsty Communities: The Cold War, Apartheid, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Call for papers: Special issue of Anthropology Southern Africa: The Legacy of James #Ferguson Abstracts due by 31 Oct. I am serving as co-guest editor and happy to answer questions. Encouraging early career scholars from Southern Africa!

Call for papers--special issue of Anthropology Southern Africa on "Thinking Through the Legacy of James Ferguson"

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

And in case you are wondering why I have a no-AI policy in my classes, it is because the machines are dumb. Jonathan met with LBJ, even if some AI-drivel I didn't ask for pops up in an attempt to gaslight me (and the official USA State Department History)!

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

This is a big deal in terms of the #border between #Lesotho and #SouthAfrica. #Basotho now get 90 days visa at the border instead of the prior 30. #BiNationalCommission #SADC #Movement #Passports

South African announcement that Basotho passport holders can now get a 90 day visa at South African border posts

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

First step of the #Lesotho Government's plan to try to stay on the good side of new USA administration--approve a long-stalled #Starlink application (hint: It most likely won't work, but will cause problems down the road when you try to regulate after the fact)

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Here is one from wikimedia commons that shows basically the same thing: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?...

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

I always find this map drives home the points I am trying to make about colonialism = extraction exquisitely:

A map of colonial railroads in Africa, almost all of them leading directly from a mine or area of resource extractions directly to the coast. Very few are interconnected, even when they are close to each other

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Hate to be too pessimistic, but this could mark the start of a return to the 'bad old days' of coalition merry-go-round with near-constant changes, floor-crossing, and other political instability. #Lesotho #Politics

In Lesotho, Prof. Nqosa Mahao has been fired as Minister of Energy

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 04/03/2024

7 PM Thursday in Snyder-Phillips Hall (basement Theater): documentary on #redlining in #Lansing in conjunction with the Historical Society of Greater Lansing "They Even Took the Dirt" Talk-back with community members who lived through this. Free parking on MSU campus after 6 PM. See you there!

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 13/11/2023

Table of contents for those wanting to see it! Looks at borders, borderlands, and crossers (along with borderlands residents) across the SADC region

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 13/11/2023

Book day (again--2nd in 2 weeks)! 'Migration, Borders, and Borderlands: Making National Communities in Southern Africa' is here! Two years in the making, co-edited with Chitja Twala, Munyaradzi Mushonga and Grey Magaiza. Tell your academic library to get a copy! rowman.com/ISBN/9781666...

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 02/11/2023

Always a very exciting day to come home and find your new book on the doorstep. Even more exciting when it is one you have worked on with your co-authors for almost 3 full years! A new version of the Historical Dictionary of #Lesotho is out!

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John Aerni-Flessner @lesothojohn.bsky.social · 31/10/2023

Speculative new Cabinet for #Lesotho after the Matekane Government brought in new parties to make up for the members of the ruling RFP who left in an effort to bring about No-Confidence. This brings the BAP into government, increases cabinet by 5 (if correct) and brings new DPM

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