Zarina Geloo

The newspaper headline signaled the tragedy. This story gave an elaborate and compassionate account of how 41-year-old Linda Kabengele committed suicide after her community continually stigmatised her due to her HIV-status. Her charred body was found still smoldering, as she lay dead near a tavern. Next to her was a photograph of her child, her handbag and some anti-retrovirals. There were tut tuts followed by sympathetic noises from the public.