A 47-year-old man from Boschkop may face jail time for attempted murder if convicted of deliberately infecting his girlfriend with HIV.
The man appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, where his case was postponed to 3 August 2026.
The State alleges that the accused and the complainant were in a relationship between October 2025 and June 2026, during which he allegedly falsely claimed to be HIV-negative despite knowing that he was infected. He allegedly infected the woman during their relationship.
NPA Gauteng spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the arrest in the landmark case followed an alleged admission by the man to his girlfriend, who is the complainant in the matter.
“On 26 June 2026, it is alleged that the complainant discovered antiretroviral (ARV) medication in the accused’s bag and confronted him about it. The accused allegedly admitted that he was HIV-positive and informed her that he had intentionally infected her because he did not want her to be with another person. On 25 July 2026, the complainant underwent an HIV test at a medical facility and was informed that she had tested positive for HIV,” said Mahanjana.
The following day, she reported the matter to the police, and the man was subsequently arrested at their place of residence.
The matter was postponed to 3 August 2026 for the gathering of bail information. The accused remains in custody.
While South African law allows for attempted murder charges to be brought against anyone found to have intentionally infected another person with HIV, no such case has previously gone to trial. The current matter could therefore set an important legal precedent.
The law also provides protection against the unwarranted disclosure of a person’s HIV status. This legal protection is also expected to be tested if the matter proceeds to trial.