AWOMAN of Dambwa North in Livingstone has confessed in the local court that she hid her HIV-positive status from her then fiancé because she loved him and was scared he would not proceed with the marriage. Rah Habasimbi told senior local court magistrate Esau Daka that she was on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs when she was courting her then husband-to-be, Evaristo Katiyoka. Habasimbi was testifying in a case in which Katiyoka, who is now her husband, sued her for divorce.

Katiyoka also demanded for compensation for being infected with HIV. The court heard that the two got married on October 5, 2013. Katiyoka paid K4,000 as bride price. However, Habasimbi consented to the divorce, saying Katiyoka has been threatening to kill her. “I was taking ARVs when we were getting married but I didn’t want to tell him the truth because I loved him so much and didn’t want him to leave me. I have infected him with HIV,” Habasimbi said. She also complained about Katiyoka’s drinking habits and his failure to hold a job. She said he does not contribute to the welfare of their home.

“He is rude and does not cater for my needs. When he was working he never used to share his salary and when I asked for money, he would call me a prostitute. His drinking habits have cost him two jobs,” Habasimbi said. Habasimbi said divorce was the best option because all efforts to resolve their marital issues have failed. However, Katiyoka told the court that besides dissolving their marriage, Habasimbi should compensate him for wilfully infecting him with HIV.

Katiyoka said after discovering that his wife was on ART, he got himself tested and the results came out positive. “I discovered that my wife is not honest and faithful when I discovered that she has been taking ARVs without telling me. She was on ART even before we got married,” Katiyoka said. He admitted that the two had a happy marriage until three years ago when problems started. He said his wife’s uncle has since chased him from the matrimonial home.

“My wife has no secrets and does not respect me. She tells her friends everything that happens in our home to embarrass me because she has a good job. That is the reason her attitude has also changed,” Katiyoka said. And Habasimbi’s mother Idah Mweene agreed that the court should dissolve the marriage, saying Katiyoka has been threatening to kill her daughter. Passing judgment, the court dissolved the marriage because it has failed irretrievably and ordered the couple