A 47-year-old Boschkop man has appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on a charge of attempted murder after allegedly deliberately infecting his girlfriend with HIV.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Pretoria Division spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the accused and the 38-year-old complainant were in a relationship between October 2025 and June 2026.
Mahanjana said the accused allegedly misrepresented his HIV status throughout the relationship by falsely informing the complainant that he was HIV-negative.
She said the complainant allegedly discovered antiretroviral (ARV) medication in the accused’s bag on June 26, 2026, and confronted him about it.
Mahanjana said the accused allegedly admitted that he was HIV-positive and told the complainant that he had intentionally infected her because he did not want her to be with another person.
She said the complainant underwent an HIV test at a medical facility on July 25, 2026, where she was informed that she had tested positive.
According to Mahanjana, the complainant reported the matter to the police the following day, leading to the accused’s arrest at their shared residence.
Mahanjana said the accused appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, where the matter was postponed to August 3, 2026, for the obtaining of bail information.
The accused remains in custody pending his next court appearance.
