A 29-YEAR-OLD girlfriend in Lusaka is nursing the wounds of a heartbreak after her 50 year old ‘boyfriend’ refused to marry her, saying he has children almost her age.
This is in a matter where Euphemia Phiri, a young beautiful lady, couriered her lover Shadreck Sakala from the load shedded area of 13 Miles to Miles Sampa’s Constituency to exonerate himself for telling an entire generation about her HIV status which she believed was meant to remain between the two of them.
In August last year, the 50 year old boyfriend who happens to be a driver by profession used his ‘biological gear lever’ to drive the young woman to cloud nine from which she returned with a human certificate.
The man was amazed by the warmth that came from the young lady’s child bearing organ that he became familiar with it that he could describe it more accurately than a gynaecologist you would care to mention.
However, according to the young lady, things got sour when she went for her first antenatal visit where she discovered she was not only carrying a human being but also an unwelcome guest in form of a virus that infects humans and weakens their immune system (HIV).
Phiri said the results were as shocking as they were unexpected because she trusted Sakala so much that she let him under her skirt, much like Chelsea’s goal keeper Sanchez let a shot from Beto slip through his legs as Everton went 3-0 up last night without a fight.
She also argued that Sakala was the one that infected her with the virus even though his test came out negative.
Phiri told the court that in the days that followed, Sakala was summoned to appear before her family to confirm whether it was his spermatozoa that heroically journeyed to combine with the X chromosome in Phiri’s egg after spending some time in her tunnel of happiness.
She said during the meeting between the two families, the grandfather who was representing the Sakala family revealed the HIV status secret to the Phiri family which the young lady argues was not meant to be revealed.
“I have brought him (Sakala) here for defamation of character because he told his family and my family that I’m HIV positive when the matter was just meant to be between the two of us. I never wanted any of them to know about my status not even my mum. Now the whole neighborhood knows about my status,” she lamented.
She argued that Sakala’s family was not supposed to tell her family about her status as that meeting was only meant to discuss damage related matters.
“In that meeting, they only came for damage but why did they tell my family I was HIV positive? Who gave this man permission to tell his grandfather and my family my secret?” She questioned.
In his defence, Sakala said his representatives only revealed the HIV status to the woman’s family because they were asked a question.
He said at first his grandfather tried to resist the question but the house was filled with members who looked like they could unleash Kitwe generated insults on him.
“Before my grandfather went to her family, I confided in him that she had HIV to make him understand our situation better. So when my grandfather was in that meeting, he was asked as to why I could not marry their daughter and the response he gave was that, “awe mwana wanu aliko na problem (your child has a problem), so they would first need counselling if you want marriage.” Her family then insisted that my grandfather explains what he meant by saying she had a problem.”
“They persuaded him to tell them what he meant and he ended up telling them that if we were to get married then we needed serious counselling because she was positive and I wasn’t,” he explained.
Delivering the judgement, Magistrate Lewis Mumba dismissed the case as one without merit and ended up counselling both the man and the woman on life and lecturing them about defamation of character.
“What is defamation of character. Where is it here? You are only defamed for things you don’t do or say. If they say you are HIV and you are, they haven’t defamed you. Yes it’s wrong to tell people that because it’s your privacy but it’s not defamation of character. If they tell you, you are a witch, and you are not, then that’s defamation. Claim dismissed due to lack of merit,” said Magistrate Mumba.
He then told Sakala this: “This is a young lady, you, you are 50. You have lived life, why not go for your agemates? If you want love, look for your size, she is too young for you that’s why you are having such problems.”
And to the young lady Magistrate Mumba said, “You are so young. Muleumfwa baiche (you should have morals). This is really sad, see now you have HIV because of dating old men. If you are not married, don’t engage in sexual activities with anyone, these are the results. Work on your life.”
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, March 22, 2026
