20 years later, Mark Johannes holds the Cape Times that first told his story in 2007.
A man, misdiagnosed as HIV-positive 25 years ago, has lodged a formal complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission, seeking accountability for the trauma caused by the error.
Mark Johannes, 56, said his world fell apart after doctors told him in 2001 he was HIV-positive while he was living in George on the Garden Route.
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks and weakens the body’s immune system, destroying the white blood cells that help fight infections and disease.
If left untreated, the virus can break down the body over years until it can no longer defend itself against life-threatening illnesses.
