Woman seeks divorce because of HIV stigma

A WOMAN of George Township in Lusaka has asked for divorce in a local court alleging that her spouse has neglected her since she was diagnosed HIV-positive.

Esther Zulu, 45, told senior presiding magistrate Elipher Mwewa that since 2008 when she learnt of her HIV positive status, her husband, Dickson Phiri, 48, stopped providing for her materially. She said when she fell ill in 2008, she had an HIV test which revealed that she was positive. She said it was hard for her to break this news to Phiri but that when she eventually did, he received the information with negativity. She said during the same period, her father died and Phiri gave her only K70,000 to assist with transport.

Zulu, who was married as the seventh wife in 1975, said when she returned from the funeral home, she found that Phiri had reconciled with his first wife whom he married in 1972.

“I do not have any child with Phiri but we both have a child each from our former spouses. His relatives whom he had told of my status advised him to leave me,” Zulu said.

Zulu said Phiri had emotionally tortured her and she wanted the court to grant her divorce. She said although the initial years of their marriage were rough and hard, the two struggled to earn what they have today.

“I know that my husband wants me to leave the house empty-handed because I did not give him any children, but I worked for the house in which he wants to live with his first wife, who did nothing to gain what we have,” she said.

In defence, Phiri said when he married Zulu, she found him with a house already built by his parents. He said Zulu did not tell him about her HIV-positive status but he first about this from other people. He said because of her desire for the house, Zulu partnered with thieves to beat him up in the night when she had gone for a funeral in the neighbourhood.

“I was almost beaten to death. Police investigations revealed that my wife was behind the attack. When our respective families met, we were advised to separate,” Phiri said.

He said when her father died, Zulu went to live in the village and that she returned in February 2008 with a lot of herbs which she put in his shoes and socks.
Phiri said that when he asked her what the medicines were for, she told him that they were for business.

“I could not understand my friend any more, so in the presence of both families, I gave her K5,000 to indicate that I was ending the marriage,” he said.

The court dissolved the marriage and ordered Phiri to pay Zulu K10 million as compensation in monthly instalments of K300,000.