The Africa Review in Five highlights African current affairs from a Christian perspective. Listen and subscribe through Youtube, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.
Today is Tuesday, June 6th, A.D. 2023. This is The Africa Review in Five, written by Tim Cantrell and presented by Yamikani Katunga
The president of Tunisia, Kais Saied proposed increasing the amount of tax charged to the wealthiest people of the nation.
This comes after Tunisia secured an agreement in principle for a 2 billion US dollar loan from the IMF but refused to concede to the conditions attached which involved restructuring its indebted public companies and eliminating subsidies on some of its basic goods.
He said, “Instead of lifting subsidies in the name of rationalization, it would be possible to introduce taxes for those who benefit from them without needing them.”
Being partial against the rich discourages wealth creation and hurts the economy, also preventing the poor from enjoying the fruit of their hard work.
In Exodus 30 the LORD encouraged fair treatment of the rich and poor in the tax system.
Victor Thambe finished high school in 2014 the same year he was working as a general worker on a grape farm. During this time he saved up and enrolled at a security college where he completed the necessary courses in 2015 and 2016. Focused on his self-development, Victor never got complacent. “I was earning R2 500 per month, and I used that salary to upgrade my qualifications. I did a Grade B security course, got a driver’s license, a firearm, and a CIT certificate,“
He enrolled in an education course and negotiated with his employer for night shifts as a security guard so that he could go to classes during the day. After completing his course with North West University, Victor graduated with a Bachelor of Education Degree on Monday.
Speaking of his viable options to better his life Victor said, “It was either I cheat life and do illegal things, I own a business, and the third option was to go to school. Which is the option I chose because it was possible to see through,”
In a world where people increasingly absolve themselves of responsibility and hope in favor of being cared for by the government or some institution, the Bible supports individual agency and freedom. Ephesians 4 speaks of a man who labors, does honest work with his own hands and gives to anyone who is in need.
Congolese Christians Gather After Baptism Bombing
On a hopeful morning in a courtyard in the Democratic Republic of Congo, people gathered in the hundreds to witness the baptisms that were taking place. Catastrophe ensued when a bomb exploded taking the lives of 20 people and leaving 17 injured.
An Islamic State group has taken responsibility for the awful event and this is amid increasing persecution of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa.
Remarkably, the response of the Christians was to gather the very week after the attack to worship God, saying, “You have allowed us to be attacked. You have strengthened our faith. We find ourselves moving forward in Your presence, LORD. You have just taken us to a higher level.”
In an age where Christians capitulate under the slightest inconvenience to corporate worship, these believers have demonstrated the resilient faith that characterized the praiseworthy saints in Hebrews 11.
In the words of Tertullian, an early church father, ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’
Pray that the Lord would strengthen the faith of the saints in Congo.
And that’s it for The Africa Review in Five on this Tuesday, June 6th 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.