Woman commits suicide over HIV status

A battle of faith versus reason led to an HIV-positive woman committing suicide after her nagging prophet allegedly instructed her to use holy water instead of Anti-retroviral treatment. Since Loveness Njenge's death, her father Leonard has been on a warpath with the prophet known as Grenatee.

"My daughter Loveness Njenge (24) committed suicide last month after a prophet from Zvimba had promised her that he will cure her of HIV.

"I didn't know that my daughter was taking the pills until she went to the prophet when we visited our rural home in Zvimba. That is when we discovered that she was HIV positive. The prophet told her that she should stop taking the medication as he could cure the virus.

"My daughter stopped taking her medication with the hope of being healed but I was against the idea," he said.

Njenge said Loveness gave up on the instructions but Prophet Grenatee allegedly prophesied that if she quits taking his holy water he foresees her death. Loveness was said to have given up and committed suicide by drinking40 tablets.

"After fruitless efforts to follow what she had been told by the prophet Loveness told Grenatee that she was tired of his prayers which proved not to be working.

"Grenatee told her that he was seeing my daughter's grave if she quits her prayer sessions. Hearing this, my daughter lost hope and went on to commit suicide by taking an overdose of drugs.

"She locked herself in a hut and left behind a note where she started that 'I have made up my mind that I should kill myself just because my disease cannot be cast away. I am already in danger because I stopped taking my pills for almost a month and the prophet has told me that I am about to die. I will not blame anyone, it is my will. Give all my clothes to the orphans,'" said Njenge.

Loveness was said to have been rushed to Gangarambwe hospital where she was further referred to Kutama hospital but the prophet said that she was not supposed to seek treatment from the hospital but at his church.

Efforts to get a comment from Grenatee were fruitless as his mobile number was not reachable.