Pretoria - She led him on to infidelity, he said. But after their relationship ended, she allegedly spread a rumour that he was HIV-positive.
This tale of seduction and scandal-mongering will be before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in the trial of a local businessman, 58, who is suing his former lover, 50, for R600 000 in damages.
Owing to the nature of the allegations, the parties’ names have been withheld.
The man, who says the woman seduced him in April 2009 to enter into an extra-marital affair, asked the court to order that the woman pay him the damages amount. But it was agreed that the woman - who works at a school - must be afforded a chance to state her side of the story to the court.
The man said in papers before court that the woman had seduced him in April 2009 and they entered into a secret relationship despite the fact he was married. This continued for more than two and a half years, but he ended it in December 2011 because, he said, he wanted to be loyal to his wife and respect their marriage vows. But, he said, when he dumped the lover she “intentionally falsely informed his wife that she has been in a love relationship with him and that he was infected with the HIV disease”.
As a result of this, he said, his wife separated from him and they were divorced in 2014.
The man said he discovered in 2016 that his former lover had “wrecked” at least two marriages based on similar facts as in his case. He also stated the names of the aggrieved partners in his court papers. According to him the woman has intensified her badmouthing of him and she last year labelled him a criminal who is infected with the HIV disease. It did not end here, he claimed, as she “spread false rumours” that he is a “useless, irresponsible playboy”.
He said these rumours were malicious and defamatory. It had hurt his feelings and injured his good name and reputation. He is claiming R200 000 for psychological treatment over a period of six months, R10 000 for pain and suffering and R390000 for “satisfaction”. The man said that although he accepted that he had a love relationship with the woman, she had no right to utter malicious statements about him.
“I am not a criminal, nor have I any criminal record against me. I am also not HIV-infected. These statements are damaging my reputation, both within the community and the business fraternity,” he stated.
The damages claim was this week removed from the court roll by Judge Moses Mavundla who referred the matter for oral evidence because the parties appear to have mutually destructive versions of what happened which could not be resolved on the basis of court papers alone.