The Africa Review in Five highlights African current affairs from a Christian perspective. Listen and subscribe through Youtube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Today is Friday, June 9th, A.D. 2023. This is The Africa Review in Five, written by Paul Schlehlein and presented by Yamikani Katunga
100+ Kids and Twelve Wives
A Ugandan villager named Musa Hasahya Kasera has finally realized the biblical principle to be true: “Whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
At 68 years old, Kasera now has 12 wives, over one hundred children, and over 500 grandchildren. He says he can’t remember many of his kids’ names and sometimes even forgets the names of his wives. He no longer can provide for them and regrets the decision he made to take so many wives. Polygamy is legal in many African countries, including Uganda.
Scripture defines marriage as one man, covenanted to one woman, for one life. First Corinthians 7:2 says: “Each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” Some polygamists argue that there is no jealousy in polygamous marriages. However, every example of polygamy in Scripture is filled with envy. Jacob, for example, clearly loved Rachel more than her sister. Genesis tells us that his other wife Leah was “hated” (Gen. 29:31).
As 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, genuine love does not envy. Therefore, men should only take one wife, as Scripture says.
South African unemployment
According to the latest polls, South Africa once again has the highest unemployment rate in the world, and by a long shot. Currently, it stands around 35%, up from 34.6% in 2022 and 27.5% in 2017. Compare this to other countries around the world in 2023. Australia, 3.7%, Brazil, 9.5%, the US, 4.6%, and Egypt at 7.3%. Many African countries do not have the statistics for such a survey. Another country that does have information on unemployment, Sudan, is the second-highest unemployment rate at 30.6%.
While unemployment is caused by many different factors, one of the causes arises from government interference, such as mandatory minimum wage laws.
Proverbs 14:31 says, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
When the government forces a business to pay higher prices to their workers, they often force these companies to go out of business (meaning all their employees will lose their jobs). The government is, as the verse says, oppressing the poor, or at least oppressing the small business owners that do not have the money to fight against such unjust laws. Otherwise, minimum wage laws force businesses to fire a portion of their employees to meet their budget (meaning some of their employees lose their jobs). Either way, it causes unemployment.
Instead, as the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard says, owners should be free to pay what they wish and employees should have the right to accept or reject the payment. As Mt. 20:15 says, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?”
Kenyan Winner
Finally, just this past week, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a world record in the women’s 1,500 meters by clocking 3:49.11. That’s an under one-second difference compared to the previous record. She did this at the third Diamond League meet of the season. This adds to the 29-year-old’s other feats, which include two Olympic gold medals and world titles in 2017 and 2022.
Scripture compares the Christian life to running a race, saying: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
And that’s it for The Africa Review in Five on this Friday, June 9th 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.