A Boschkop man (47) has appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on an attempted murder charge after allegedly concealing his HIV status and intentionally infecting his girlfriend, reports The Citizen.
The two had been in a relationship between October 2025 and June 2026, but she said he had lied about his HIV status, telling her he was HIV negative.
On 26 June 2026, she had discovered antiretroviral (ARV) medication in his bag and confronted him.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the man then allegedly admitted to being HIV positive, telling her he had intentionally infected her because he did not want her to be with another man.
Last week she went for an HIV test and was told that she had tested positive. She reported the matter to the police the next day and the man was subsequently arrested.
The matter was postponed to 3 August and he remains in custody.
Rape kit shortage
Meanwhile, the DA has taken legal action against Acting Police Minister Feroz Cachalia over a looming rape kit shortage in the Western Cape, warning that survivors could be denied crucial forensic testing from 1 August.
The party formally, through its lawyers, placed Cachalia on notice to respond to the crisis regarding the supply of D1 (for adults) and D7 (for children) forensic evidence collection kits (“rape kits”) in the province.
DA NCOP member on Security & Justice Dominique Jeftha said the party has learnt that SAPS will not have rape kits to administer crucial testing of rape victims beyond 1 August in the region.
However, the police Ministry has dismissed the allegations, with Cachalia denying any shortage of evidence collection kits.
He said that additional kits were currently being distributed as part of “ongoing procurement and replenishment processes”.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
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