Woman Divorces HIV+ Husband for Puncturing Condom

A troubled Zambian wife last week lamented before the Bulangililo Local Court how her HIV positive husband punctured the condoms they were using during sexual intercourse to make her pregnant.

Nkumbwa Ngulube told the court that her husband’s behaviour made her upset because he was putting her at risk of contracting HIV even after they agreed that they would always use condoms.

Ngulube was testifying in a case in which she sued her husband Rueben Chilobisa for divorce on grounds that she does not want him to infect her with HIV.

The couple got married last year and have no children together. Ngulube told the court that problems in their marriage started after she discovered ARVs in her husband’s trunk.

She testified that her husband did not inform her about his HIV status and that her discovery was a source of conflict in their marriage.

Ngulube said she and her husband later reconciled after she tested HIV negative and that they agreed to use condoms whenever they wanted to have sex.

She said her husband then started pushing her into having a child but that after she declined, he opted to puncture the condoms.

“I noticed that he had punctured all the condoms we bought and this made me scared because it is like he is on a mission to infect me with the disease,” Ngulube said.

She also told the court that her husband used to force himself on her when she refused to have sex with him.

But Chilobisa, who was not in support of the divorce, refuted allegations that he wanted to infect his wife and instead told the court that his wife wants to divorce him because she is protective of her stubborn son.

He said his step-son is too naughty and that his wife does not like it when he controls him.
Chilobisa also denied the allegation that he punctured the condoms.

Bulangililo senior local court magistrate Kambole Nyoni granted the couple a free divorce because Ngulube refused to get back with her husband.