Tag Archives: South Africa

International Alliances and Christian Discernment: South Africa, Iran, Russia, and China

Posted on by
Reply

— David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In every age, God’s people have lived within political orders not of their own making. The prophet Jeremiah instructed the exiles to “seek the welfare of the city” (Jer. 29:7), even when that city was Babylon. Likewise, Paul commanded prayer “for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:2), even when Nero occupied the throne. Christians, therefore, are neither anarchists nor idolaters of the state. 

Today, South Africa’s growing alignment with Iran, Russia, and China requires sober Christian evaluation. South Africa is a leading member of BRICS, alongside Russia, China, and others. In 2024, Iran formally joined this bloc. These relationships are often claimed to be an attempt to balance Western dominance and expand economic opportunity.

In principle, it is not sinful to diversify a nation’s trade relationships. Yet Scripture teaches that alliances are never morally neutral. Psalm 1 warns against walking “in the counsel of the wicked.” 

Christians must ask: What kind of regimes are we drawing close to? What moral visions animate them? 

Continue reading →

Gender-Based Violence: A National Disaster?

Posted on by
Reply

— David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In the run-up to the G20 conference, various lobbyists in South Africa were calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Gender-Based Violence a “national disaster”. Eventually, this was conceded, and the Department of Social Development posted the announcement on its website

What is meant by this declaration? What difference will it make? And what does it say about the beliefs of a large number of South Africans?

Continue reading →

Should Christians Own Guns? 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Gun-ownership in the United States is the highest in the world, with a rate of 120 guns per 100 people. Yes, that’s more than one gun per person. Gun-ownership rates in Africa, however, are tiny (at least among non-criminals), with almost non-existent rates in countries like Malawi, Benin, Ethiopia, and Niger. 

In South Africa and South Sudan, there are less than ten gun-owners per one-hundred people, even though (as of 2024), South Africa has the fifth-highest crime rate in the world. 

South Africa is a very dangerous place to live. According to recent crime statistics from the South African Police Service, 453 homes are burgled every day in the country. This despite each home being clothed in a robe of steel burglar bars and shiny razor wire. 

This raises the question: are Christians allowed to defend themselves? If Jesus said to turn the other cheek, may His followers use dogs, walls, and fists to protect their lives and property? If so, are weapons like guns and knives valid? Consider the following four principles.

Continue reading →

Marriage Thoughts on Polygamy, Virginity, and HIV Tests

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Having lived in a little Tsonga village for nearly two decades, I’ve learned a thing or two about African culture. The place where I reside is semi-rural, and is thus a better representation of African culture than the westernised cities. Pit toilets are more common than flush toilets, the native language is more prevalent than English, granny-led homes are more numerous than houses with a mom and dad, and unemployment is sky-high.

One of my convictions is that feminism has devastated the African home perhaps more than any ideology—even more than the Prosperity Gospel. 

Continue reading →

Independence—A Call for African Churches to Support African Missions

Posted on by
Reply

–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The current call in African countries is for the “Decolonisation of Africa!” One African country, Zimbabwe, gained its independence from British rule on April 18, 1980. It’s neighbour, South Africa, was one of the last countries in Africa to see the end of racial segregation in what is known as apartheid, and to be declared an independent, “democratic” country.  

Currently, there are 54 fully independent countries in Africa. Independence is something that many young university students long for. The dream of being able to come home without the curfew alarm going off, or being frantically called by a worried mother is what many aspire to. When we think of independence, what comes to mind is being able to stand on your own two feet. This is when boys become men.

Continue reading →

Fanon Still Fanning the Flames: Exposing the Lies of Marxism

Posted on by
Reply

–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Recently, one astute analyst of South African news went beyond the usual reporting to identify competing ideologies.  Since our national crime and violence have been recently exposed on a global stage, what’s at the root of such ugly fruits? 

Turns out that a 1961 book still exerts an enormous influence on the Ramaphosas and Malemas of our day (just as it did on the Gaddafis, Mugabes and many other tyrants), a kind of Marxist ‘Bible’ for many – entitled, The Wretched of the Earth, by French psychiatrist, Frantz Fanon.  

Thanks to Fanon’s influence, hate and crime (or utterly failed policies like BEE or Eskom) can be justified as long as they are done in the name of liberation.  Instead of believing that mankind is universally evil and needing to be civilised, we’re told man is basically good but oppressed, so Western civilisation must be deconstructed and rebuilt by the liberators.

Continue reading →

The Contours of Godly Speech: A Biblical Evaluation of “Kill the Boer”

Posted on by
Reply

–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The contentious issue of struggle songs in South Africa has sparked considerable debate, consternation, and division for several years now. Last week, President Trump showed a 5-minute video of Economic Freedom Fighter leader, Julius Malema, singing what is called the “Kill the Boer” song at several rallies. 

As a result, the issue has dominated the headlines for 8 days straight. The South African delegation, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, awkwardly squirmed as Trump had the video played and the world listened to “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer … shoot to kill, shoot to kill … Brrr pop, Brrr pop.”

Continue reading →

South Africa’s National Sin & Stain of Abortion

Posted on by
1

–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Recently I was struck with two solemn reminders of the scourge of abortion upon South Africa and our world today:

(a) A recent Sunday evening sermon at our church was on Genesis 9 and God instituting the death penalty for all murders so that the sanctity of human life would be upheld as made in His very image.

(b) In our adult Sunday School ethics course, one of the doctors in our church recounted in detail the current stats on abortion. Worldwide, a horrific 73 million infants are murdered annually; in South Africa, it’s abominable that 260,000 babies are slain in their own mother’s womb, one out of every three pregnancies!  

Continue reading →

Literacy, Reading, and Missions

Posted on by
Reply

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Who can be a Christian without reading? Some could hear the Word and respond in faith, but without a broad base of careful readers, no church will endure in a culture. If a group were converted simply by listening, could they grow and reproduce on a national scale without first becoming very Bible-centered? 

Paul told Timothy that pastors must give care to reading the Word both in public and private (1 Tim. 4:13 and 15). Individual believers must search the Scriptures to weigh a teacher’s words against the original standard (Acts 17:11). Because man does not live by bread alone, but by the words of God (Matt. 4:4), he must grow as a Christian until he is habitually literate. 

Continue reading →

South Africa’s Sovereignty: Rage or Repentance?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Jonathan Klimek

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

As South Africans, we have heard members of the South African government assert that our nation “will not be bullied” and must safeguard its sovereignty, national interests, and constitutional democracy. In his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ramaphosa rallied the nation to unite against external pressures [1]. These are stirring words, but do they align with God’s design for righteous governance? South Africa stands at a pivotal period in history: Will we cling to alliances and policies that defy Divine justice, or will we repent and pursue the grace and peace God promises to those who honour Him? Scripture offers both a warning and a way forward—if we have the courage to listen.

Continue reading →

African Media: The Flight From Truth

Posted on by
Reply

–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The past few weeks have moved South Africa into the international spotlight as U.S. President Donald Trump accused South Africa of expropriating property and mistreating various groups. He then offered a form of refugee status to Afrikaner farmers affected by the South African government’s actions.

This produced howls of opposition and derision from liberal media and commentators in South Africa, variously accusing the American administration of lying, deceit and, unsurprisingly, racism. People were quick to ‘fact-check’ the U.S. President and respond with everything from crying foul to thumbing their nose at the cancellation of U.S. money sent to South Africa. Conservatives applauded the U.S. for finally revealing the racism in South African politics and law.

Continue reading →

How Should South Africa Respond to American Sanctions?

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In 1662, Jan van Riebeeck and the first Dutch settlers arrived at South Africa’s Table Mountain. By the 1830s the descendants of their Dutch forebears, called Afrikaners, had tired of British rule and friction with the Xhosa. With pastoral life becoming harder to achieve and the broad hinterland increasingly tempting, Louis Trichardt and the trekboers began the Great Trek inland in 1837. 

Since then, the Afrikaner has waged many battles, played both vanquished and victor, imposed her fair share of prejudiced legislation, borne the loss of power, shifted from oppressor to oppressed, and resettled to Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and every corner of the globe. Yet, South Africa has remained her treasured habitation.

Just under 200 years separated the van Riebeeck landing and the first exodus. Now, another two centuries demarcate today from the first wagon wheels rolling north. The question arises: Is 2025 the year of another massive Afrikaner departure from their beloved South Africa?

Continue reading →

Is Witchcraft Real? 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In December 2024 near Kwa Zulu Natal, a man admitted to a terrible crime. The life of Zandile Kumalo was taken, horrifically documented, and then spread on social media. A reporter far away in Limpopo raised the question of witchcraft in connection with this vile string of events. Enos Magwabeni interviewed a witch doctor (name unpublished, hereafter WD), called a traditional healer by those trying to dignify the sad and dark ways of heathenism, and their exchange discussing the December murder of Zandile by Sibusiso was published in the Limpopo Mirror 17 January 2025 (article not archived online). 

Continue reading →

The Two Worlds in Africa

Posted on by
1

–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Of the 80 members in the South African Tsonga churches, 15 members have full time jobs. Several of those 15 are informal jobs such as cleaning houses or selling snacks to school children, meaning that the pay is less than R2,000 ($110) per month or R66 ($3.70) per day. One man told me that he is 100% satisfied with the job he has had for a year because it pays R4,500 ($250) per month. Other members work from time to time doing hair, building, or cleaning when part time work presents itself. 

But that should be compared with a friend in Johannesburg South Africa who told me that it would be hard for a family to live with less than R30,000 ($1,666) per month. How could it be hard to live with 10 times more than other Christians are making? 

Continue reading →

Bringing Biblical Balance To A Climate Of Extremes

Posted on by
Reply

–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

One of the constants in the news is climate change. I began studying and following the issue 20 years ago when it was called “Global Warming.” When the earth wasn’t heating up fast enough, the name was suddenly changed to the more general and easily exploitable “Climate Change.” 

The South African government recently applauded the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) for committing 300 billion US dollars annually by 2035 to developing economies. This agreement also allows development banks to provide 1.3 trillion dollars annually in loans for climate financing. With this much money available, it is easy to see why the SA government applauds COP29. 

Continue reading →

A Christian Perspective on Male Circumcision Schools

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Male circumcision schools are as common throughout sub-Saharan Africa as they are dangerous. Recently in Zambia, for example, forty-eight boys were rescued from a circumcision school after parents complained that their children had been abducted. In Malawi among the Yawo people, this rite of passage is called jando, marking a new era of sexual freedom.

Among the Tsongas in South Africa, it is called madlala. I have watched nearly two decades worth of coming home ceremonies, including the days I lived at the chief’s kraal when the boys were met with cheers from the community and dances from hordes of topless women. The father of a strong young Christian in our church tricked his son by capturing him in a vehicle and forcing him to attend the school. 

While differences in this practice vary widely between tribes and countries, I’d like to give a broad biblical perspective on male circumcision schools. 

Continue reading →

How Merry Should Your Christmas Be? A Christian View of Drinking 

Posted on by
Reply

–– David de Bruyn & Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The holiday season is fast approaching, with all of its blessings but also its dangers – of which one of the most notorious and widespread is the abuse of alcohol.  It was more common in my father’s generation for Christians to stand firm and swim upstream as teetotallers who abstained from alcohol.  But in our day, a trendy ‘Young, Restless & Reformed’ generation has arisen and at times foolishly flaunted their liberties in an effort to be more contextualised and hip with the culture.  A hyper-grace (antinomian) mood has fallen on the modern church and calls a “legalist” anyone who makes you uncomfortable in their zeal for holiness.

Continue reading →

Decades of Depravity: What to Learn from Smyth’s Sexual Scandal

Posted on by
Reply

–– Richard Peskett

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

It has been well said that “time and truth go hand in hand.”  The Lord Jesus said, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

John Smyth served as a leader in Christian youth camps in the UK for many years. But he misused his position and violently abused many boys. When his behaviour was brought to light in 1982, he fled to Zimbabwe, where, in 1986, he founded a Christian youth organisation called Zambesi Ministries. Again he subjected boys to appalling abuse. This too eventually came to light, and so he moved with his family to South Africa in 2001. He died in Cape Town in 2018.

What is the relevance of this today? Well, it was this past week that the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, commented on what had happened. He bemoaned the neglect of the church. He said that the Anglican church had failed to protect congregants from abuse. Leaders in the Anglican communion are seeking ways to prevent such grievous events from happening again.

What can we learn from these tragic events? Here are three lessons.

Continue reading →

A Biblical Answer To South Africa’s Murder Epidemic

Posted on by
1

–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Just a few weeks ago, 18 people were massacred in cold blood in the Eastern Cape. In all, 15 women and 3 men were senselessly slaughtered for reasons still unknown. Here in the Cape, 7 people were gunned down last week in Bishop Lavis in what looks like a gang-style murder. The day before the Bishop Lavis tragedy, 5 people were murdered in Atlantis on the west coast north of Cape Town. Sadly, those headlines have already evaporated in the minds of most due to the everyday occurrence of homicide in South Africa. Murder is so common now that most are hardened to this loss of human life. 

Continue reading →

The Breakdown of the Family in Africa: A Christian Perspective on Migration, Marriage, and Parenting 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Jonathan Klimek

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The African continent is grappling with a significant challenge: the breakdown of the family unit. Economic necessity is a key driver of this issue, which compels many individuals to leave their home countries in search of work, particularly in South Africa, now a major destination for migrant workers. Although the financial support sent back home offers some relief, the long-term absence of parents and spouses creates deep and lasting fractures within families. This article explores the roots of this crisis, its devastating consequences, and how the Bible can inform our response.

Continue reading →

Capitalism and Christ-like Competition

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Here’s a bit of good news from the southern region of Africa. Visa applications in South Africa that had previously moved at a snail’s pace have recently picked up to breakneck speed. For decades applicants for visas have endured the dawdling movements of the Department of Home Affairs, sometimes waiting years for simple paperwork to return. 

Not anymore. The phones of visa applicants are ding-ding-dinging, informing them their papers are ready for pickup. What changed? What’s been the secret? The answer is good old-fashioned competition. 

Continue reading →

Calvinism: The Cure for Racism, Not the Cause 

Posted on by
Reply

–– Adapted by Tim Cantrell from Dr. Flip Buys

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Historian Rodney Stark describes how the early church was the first institution in the history of the world that brought people together across ethnic barriers. They were inclusive because they believed that there is one God who gathers His new people from every tribe tongue and nation.  Longtime GK pastor and professor, Dr. Flip Buys, was a white Afrikaans pastor in a black church in the 1980s in Sharpeville township, home of the infamous Sharpeville massacre of 1961 (commemorated every 21 March on Human Rights Day in South Africa).  He often had to drive to church services through burning tyres on the streets and police barricades.   

Yet Dr. Buys powerfully testifies to the gospel’s impact in seeing black and white young people converted and learning to reconcile.  He tells of how, in those tumultuous times, their church truly experienced how Christ has torn down the wall of racial division and created the “one new man” (Eph. 2:14-16).  Nothing is more potent for racial harmony than a biblical vision of God as absolutely free, gracious and sovereign – a God who truly saves sinners!  Whether we wear the Calvinist label or not, every Bible-believing child of God says ‘Amen’ to that testimony. 

Continue reading →

How to Serve Before Kings in an Age of Unemployment

Posted on by
Reply

–– Titus Cantrell

Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

South Africa is facing a dire shortage of skilled workers, according to a recent article published by Antony Sguazzin on Bloomberg. As businesses attempt to start or expand operations in what Sguazzin calls “Africa’s most industrialised economy,” there are certain job openings that employers simply cannot find qualified candidates for. Most of these are in the areas of engineering, science, information technology, and management. 

Sguazzin writes, “This skills shortage has been identified by the South African presidency as the second biggest impediment to economic growth, after crippling power outages.” The Department of Home Affairs releases an annual list of these “critical skills” designed to expedite the visa process for foreigners who can fill these gaps. However, Sguazzin points out that less than 50% of these critical skills visas are approved, and applications have declined significantly over the last decade.

While this skill shortage presents a major challenge to South African businesses, Christian young people should also view it as an opportunity and a guide for their education and career choices. 

Continue reading →

A Guide to Government and Godliness

Posted on by
Reply

–– Jonathan Klimek

Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

A Guide to Government and Godliness

This year in South Africa the National Elections will take place on the 29th of May. You may ask: “How does God view elections? Should we vote? Which party do we choose—the “lesser of many evils”? 

It is important that we as Christians consider our role within the political sphere of our Country. Our faith is not confined to the pews of our church; rather, it should infiltrate every facet of our lives, including our engagement with our Country and its politics.

Continue reading →

On Godly Men and Picking Fights

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Godly men are called to fight, but they must pick their fights prudently. “Fight the good fight of the faith,” Paul said (1Tm. 6:12). “I have fought the good fight,” were his last words (2Tm. 4:7). This differs from today’s 11th Commandment: Thou shalt be nice. Break this command and you’ll incur the world’s wrath. 

Consider the recent expulsion of final-year law student Shaun Christie from North-West University in South Africa. On 6 February 2024, an orientation programme was held for first-year students at the Potchefstroom Campus. Students were forced to sit for LGBTQA+ indoctrination, which opposed many of the students’ religious convictions. Christie, a Christian, publicly stood and voiced his protest at the presentation, which was captured on camera. Afterwards, the university expelled him for what they called disruption and denying free speech. Christie refused to back down.

Continue reading →

Biblical Food For Thought Before Voting

Posted on by
Reply

–– Mark Christopher

Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Because it is an election year here in South Africa, I am reminded of the humorous definition of “politics”. It is a compound word from poly meaning “many” and tics — “blood-sucking creatures”. And while there may be some truth in this, Christians have an awesome responsibility to vote according to Christian principles derived from God’s word. Sadly, too many people vote according to their wallet, blindly based on past history, or they vote based on what they think the government will give them materially. Some vote out of blind devotion to their favourite political party regardless of the values that the party represents. And then there are those who vote based on an informed decision. 

Continue reading →

Praying to Ancestors for Guidance

Posted on by
Reply

–– Paul Schlehlein

Listen and subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Despite the influence of Christianity and Islam on the continent, Africans still attach tremendous honour to their ancestors. Ancestor worship is deeply engrained into the African belief system, its influence reaching the heights of political power. 

Ancestor Worship in Africa

For example, in the early days of Cyril Ramaphosa’s first term as president of South Africa, he focused on the country’s need for ancestral intervention. He called upon the leaders of his ANC political party to visit the graves of former presidents. They did this, he said, “to ask for a way forward.” 

For millennia, Africans have done this when faced with misfortune. “We go back to our ancestors to talk to them,” Ramaphosa said. So why did the ANC leaders visit the grave of former president Nelson Mandela? “To draw wisdom,” Ramaphosa said. 

Continue reading →

Followers of the Fallen

Posted on by
Reply

–– Andrew Zekveld

Listen and subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

A proverb that has been attributed to the people of Tanzania observes how “the humble pay for the mistakes of their leaders.” This simple observation of life is indeed the downfall of much in our beloved Africa. When leaders fall, it is always the humble followers who get crushed.

Yet, it seems that very little can convince the humble followers of fallen leaders to stop following their discredited heroes.

Ousted from the South African presidency in 2018 because of corruption, Jacob Zuma regained great political fame this past December in his announcement of forming a new political party—this all amidst his corruption trial! 

So also spiritual leader Shepherd Bushiri from Malawi, while awaiting extradition orders in Malawi for financial crimes committed in South Africa, enjoyed a renewed following in his recent 2023/2024 Crossover event.

Continue reading →

South Africa Needs More Good Guys with Guns

Posted on by
Reply

–– Titus Cantrell

Listen and subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Applications for firearm licenses in South Africa have quadrupled over the past decade, according to a recent report written by William Brederode on News24. Between April 2022 and March 2023, over 139,000 new applications for gun ownership were filed with the South African Police Service, compared to just over 33,000 in the same period from 2011 to 2012. South Africa has seen a 77% increase in murders in that same time span, rising from 15,554 in 2011/12 to 27,494 in 2022/23.

In an increasingly crime-ridden SA, is more legal gun ownership good news? 

Continue reading →

The Dangers of Gaming

Posted on by
5

–– David de Bruyn

Listen and subscribe: Youtube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Amidst much economic downturn, one industry that is thriving in South Africa is gaming and e-sports. The Price-Waterhouse-Cooper Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook reported that South Africa’s gaming and e-sports increased its revenue by 30% in 2022, and leads both Kenyan and Nigerian markets. Although power cuts, slow rollout of 5G, and poor quality networks have hampered growth, Africa’s mobile-first landscape has allowed for quicker adoption of digital currencies. E-sports and gaming often use digital currencies for betting and in-game purchases. 

Worldwide, the gaming industry makes more money than the film and music industries combined. In 2021, the gaming world brought in over $180 billion. Companies such as Facebook and Google have invested billions of dollars into Virtual Reality, which is certain to become a major part of gaming in the next 5-10 years. 

Although using games for harmless diversion and amusement may be a lawful use of leisure for Christians, there are some real spiritual dangers associated with gaming. 

Continue reading →