Live-in girlfriend conceals HIV status

nyundoCourt Reporter
A Chitungwiza woman allegedly lived with her boyfriend for 13 years without revealing to him that she was on anti-retroviral therapy as she is HIV positive.This emerged at the Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Court on Thursday when the 46-year-old man appeared before Mr Musaiona Shortgame charged with threats to murder and malicious damage to property.

The man allegedly threatened to kill his girlfriend by dousing her with petrol after she suddenly ended their long-standing affair.

In his defence, the man accused the girlfriend of trying to fix him for confronting her after discovering that she was taking ARVs.

He told the court that they had been in a relationship for the past 13 years and was shocked to learn that she was on ARV therapy all along.

“The complainant is lying that I attempted to kill her,” the man said while openly weeping.  Our problems started after I discovered her ARVs. She infected me with the virus and when I confronted her over the issue, she promised to fix me. In frustration, I downed poison.”

In her evidence, the girlfriend said the man was her ex-boyfriend and denied ever hiding the ARVs from him.

Prosecutor Mr Norman Koropi told the court that on September 5 this year, the man allegedly went to his girlfriend’s house with a five-litre container of petrol.

He allegedly poured it on the girlfriend and himself, before emptying the container in the house threatening to set it ablaze so that they could both die because she had ended the affair.

In a separate case, another man on Monday told the Harare Civil Court that he was sex-starved because his wife was in the habit of faking illness every night to avoid being intimate with him.

Kennedy Mutanga said he last enjoyed his conjugal rights five months ago.

He was taken to court by his wife, Sakina Pembere, who was seeking a protection order against him.

“I am now sick and tired of being physically and verbally abused by this man over petty issues,” she said.

Pembere told Harare Civil Court magistrate Mr Brighton Pabwe that Mutanga was also in the habit of physically abusing their children.

Mr Pabwe granted the order in Pembere’s favour which barred Mutanga from physically and verbally abusing her.

“He is not taking care of the family and this started when I caught him with a girlfriend. I am currently working at a pre-school in order to support my children and now he is accusing me of having an affair the one of the school drivers,” said Pembere.

Pembere said Mutanga was always threatening to kill her and the children.

Mutanga denied the allegations and accused Pembere for denying him conjugal rights.

“I last got my conjugal rights five months ago and all this time she had been faking illness every night to avoid being intimate with me, he said.

Mutanga said it was unfair because during the day Pembere would be fit as a fiddle but in the evening she starts complaining that she is not feeling well.

“I am suspecting that she is having an adulterous affair with someone that’s why she is avoiding me,” he said.

Mr Pabwe granted the order in Pembere’s favour which barred Mutanga from physically and verbally abusing her.

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