Hubby’s HIV status broadcast

A Dangamvura man was forced to approach the Mutare Civil Courts seeking a protection order to stop his wife from revealing his HIV status to the public.

Joseph and Memory Chenga (not real names) appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato last week on Thursday.

The man told the court that Memory is in the habit of attacking him in public and disclosing his HIV status.

Joseph explained that it all started when he handed Memory a divorce token and asked her to vacate their matrimonial home.

“Shortly after I sent Memory back to her parents’ house, she came back with the divorce token and claimed that her parents had not accepted it. She bulldozed her way back into my house.

“My health status is not for public consumption. She, however, has seen it fit to make my HIV status public without my consent.

“When we quarrel, she shouts that I am HIV positive and this degrades me in the eyes of the society and my children,” he said.

Joseph explained that he is now being stigmatised by his neighbours and children.

“She knows my weakest points and she presses them each time we fight. I feel that even my children no longer respect me because of the way she shouts that I am HIV positive.

“I had not disclosed my status to my children, but it is now public knowledge because of this woman’s outbursts,” he said.

Joseph added:

“I have had enough of her. She is constantly abusing me because of my status. She harasses me in a bid to push me out of the house.”

He begged the court to evict Memory from their matrimonial home.

However, Memory denied the allegations.

“What he is saying are all lies. I only went back to him after my parents said he had to give me a divorce token if he no longer loves me. We are customarily married. He is lying that he gave me divorce token,” she said.

An interim protection order was granted in Joseph’s favour.

Mr Chipato did not grant an eviction order against Memory, stating that a divorce token needs to be handed out to her first.