A 47-year-old South African man accused of deliberately infecting his girlfriend with HIV has been granted R2,000 bail by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
The man is facing a charge of attempted murder following allegations that he concealed his HIV-positive status from his 38-year-old girlfriend and falsely told her that he was HIV negative.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the couple were in a relationship between October 2025 and June 2026.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the accused allegedly misrepresented his HIV status throughout the relationship.
The allegations came to light on June 26, 2026, when the woman reportedly found antiretroviral (ARV) medication in the man’s bag.
She confronted him about the discovery, after which he allegedly admitted that he was HIV positive.
The accused also allegedly told the woman that he had intentionally infected her because he did not want her to enter into a relationship with another man, according to the NPA.
Following the confrontation, the complainant reportedly underwent an HIV test at a medical facility on July 25, 2026. She was subsequently informed that the test had returned positive.
She reported the matter to the police the following day, leading to the accused’s arrest at their shared residence.
During the bail proceedings, the State did not oppose the accused’s release, noting that he was not regarded as a flight risk.
The court subsequently ruled that it was in the interests of justice to grant him bail in the sum of R2,000.
Mahanjana confirmed that the matter has been postponed until August 27, 2026, when a date for proceedings in the regional court is expected to be determined.
The accused remains charged with attempted murder, and the allegations against him have yet to be tested in court.
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