Today’s episode is HERE. The Africa Review in Five highlights African current affairs from a Christian perspective. Listen and subscribe through Youtube, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.

TRANSCRIPT

Today is Friday, June 2nd, A.D. 2023 and this is The Africa Review in Five, written by Paul Schlehlein and presented by Yamikani Katunga

Ugandan Courage

This week Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law restrictions on homosexual behavior. The law does not criminalize homosexuality per se, but does advocate strict penalties for “aggravated homosexuality”, defined as sodomite activity with a person having HIV, as well as minors or those that are vulnerable.

Many around the world have condemned Uganda’s stand against homosexuality, saying it is an attack on human rights. The United States in particular has threatened economic consequences, with President Joe Biden calling the new law “…a tragic violation of human rights—one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country.”

Uganda joins a number of other African countries that have criminalized sodomy in certain cases, though many African nations have folded under the pressure to change. For example, in 2019 Botswana decriminalized homosexuality in a landmark ruling. Judge Elburu called laws banning homosexual activity “discriminatory” since, according to Elburu, sexual orientation is “an important attribute of one’s personality.”

Ugandan President Museveni has remained defiant, saying that “nobody will move us”, meaning outside nations that promote LGBT ideology will not bully Uganda to change what they believe to be right.

Scripture says all government officials have the responsibility to do what is just. As Romans 13:3 says, “Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.”

Zim outlaws protests

On the 1st of June, Zimbabwe’s government approved a bill outlawing criticism of the government. This bill, called “The Criminal Law Code Amendment Bill”, or “Patriot Bill”, came just hours after the government announced nationwide elections for the 23rd of August, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa will seek a second term. Violations of the new law could be punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

Many view this as a draconian law and a death blow to free speech in the country, designed to punish citizens that disagree with the ruling party.

ZANU-PF party proponents, however, say the law encourages citizens to be “patriotic”.

Proverbs 31:8-9 encourages free speech, saying: “Open your mouth for the mute, and the right of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Zimbabwe Hyper-inflation

In early May the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe began advertising gold-backed digital currency in an effort to curb the nation’s runaway inflation. Some are skeptical that this crypto-currency is the answer to Zimbabwe’s problems.

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate has averaged 89% from 2009 to 2023, with the all-time high of 837% in July of 2020. According to Ventures Africa, an item that cost $100 in 1980 cost over $345 billion in 2022. Zimbabwe’s highest ever banknote was a 100 trillion dollar bill ($100,000,000,000,000). 

Scripture discourages dishonest gain and sustained price increases like inflation. Proverbs 20:10 says, “Unequal weights and unequal measure are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” In the Old Testament, some dishonest merchants would use heavier or lighter weights on the scales to cheat their customers, just as the printing of money and thus inflation steals the hard-earned savings of its citizens. Using inflation to make an item that is $10 today worth $8 next week is stealing. Therefore Moses said in Dt. 25:13, “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small.”

And that’s it for The Africa Review in Five on this Friday, June 2nd in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe to the Missionary Minds podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts.

I’m Yamikani Katunga. Be not weary in well doing.