Ex-lover sued for HIV smear

A Pretoria businessperson is suing his former mistress for R600 000 for allegedly spreading false rumours that he was an HIV-infected playboy after he broke up with her.

Maatjan Ludick, 57, of Capital Park in Pretoria, this week applied for summary judgment in the High Court in Pretoria against his former mistress Serita Steyn, 49, who lives in the same street, but the application was removed from the roll to allow the parties to apply for a trial date to lead evidence in the matter.

Ludick alleged in court papers that in 2009 Steyn “seduced” him into an extramarital affair. He ended the relationship in 2011, informing Steyn that he wanted to be loyal to his wife and respect their marriage vows. He alleged that in 2013, Steyn informed his wife that she had had a relationship with him and falsely stated that he was HIV-positive.

Ludick said this false and malicious statement caused his marriage to break down, resulting in a divorce in 2014.

According to Ludick, he discovered in 2016 that Steyn had “wrecked at least two other marriages” on similar facts.

He claimed that again in March last year, Steyn made false, malicious and defamatory statements about him. She publicly labelled him as a criminal with Aids. He said she also called him “an irresponsible, useless playboy”.

Ludick said this had caused his clients and customers to lose their confidence, trust and respect for him, impaired his integrity and caused him pain and suffering.

He is sueing Steyn not only for the harm to his dignity and reputation, but also for the costs of psychological treatment and future medication, pain and suffering. “Although I accept that I had a love relationship with her, she had no right to utter malicious and defamatory statements about me. I am not a criminal and do not have a criminal record or HIV.”

Steyn has not yet filed an opposing affidavit.