Makari’s voice for justice and hope falls silent

Church and community leaders have paid tribute to the late deputy bishop Zach Makari, remembering his activism, mentorship and role in Namibia’s HIV response.

Church of Africa secretary general Ileni Henguva remembers Makari as a mentor and motivational speaker whom government institutions and schools would invite to uplift and inspire at various events.

Henguva says Makari was a man of the people who could not stand injustice and worked tirelessly and voluntarily for the good of the church and the community.

The secretary general said this at a memorial service held at Church of Africa in Windhoek in Makari’s honour on Wednesday.

The deputy bishop died at the age of 58 at home in Windhoek on Saturday.

“The church lost a good servant of the word of God. He contributed a lot to the church’s growth. He played a significant role in bringing the church up from community level up to the national level.

“We are left not knowing where to start. We lost our archbishop at the beginning of the year and he was acting. It is a big loss,” Henguva said.

He said Makari played an instrumental role in student politics and in the formation of the National Youth Council. He was also involved in the formation of Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) and many other youth organisations in the country.

“He worked for the Namibia Network of AIDS Service Organisation (Nanaso), which is the national umbrella body for non-governmental organisations working on HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and other emerging epidemics in Namibia,” Henguva said.

Nanaso director Sandi Tjaronda says the role Makari played during the early days of HIV-AIDS in the 1980’s, when no antiretroviral therapy existed, will not be forgotten.

“Makari was there from the beginning when HIV was a deadly disease and a death sentence for those who tested positive for the disease. Those people relied on the strength, encouragement and support of Makari and others. Helping with care in hospitals and at home,” he says.

Tjaronda says Makari played a key role in the progress the country made in controlling the HIV epidemic, exceeding the joint United Nations programme on HIV-AIDS (Unaids) targets for viral suppression and achieving substantial reductions in HIV incidence, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

“He was there from those days when people were dying like flies from AIDS, until now that HIV-AIDS is no longer considered an epidemic. He played a big role in helping Namibia achieve that classification,” the director says.

Makari served as an HIV-AIDS activist and advocacy officer at Nanaso from 1991 till his death.

He will be buried at Okahumandu village in the Omaheke region’s Aminuis constituency on Sunday.

Makari’s brother, Rukee Moelanjane, has confirmed the burial details.

His body will be transported to Okahumandu village on Friday, where a memorial service will be held at 16h00.

“Saturday is reserved for the last memorial service, while the burial is set for Sunday morning,” Moelanjane says.

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