Malawi’s renowned television (TV) personality, Geoffrey Kapusa, aka Mr. Splash, has told the latest edition of Lifestyle Magazine, a glamorous publication of the Times Group, that he tested HIV positive in December 2006.

“I have been on drugs, ARVs (Antiretroviral drugs)… it was December 2006. What happened is that I had some clinical problems, problems with my sex life … I was not circumcised by then,” Kapusa tells the magazine.

Malawians generally do not disclose their HIV Sero-status due to the prospect of facing stigma and discrimination, but Kapusa says he thought of coming out in the open to share his story after getting convinced that testing positive does not mean the end of one’s world.

“I thought I should come out, I went for testing and I tested positive. I wasn’t surprised when I got my results … I was told to go to College of Medicine to have my CD4 count checked… some people who knew my HIV status assumed I was going to die so I took ARVs religiously,” says Kapusa, who burst into the limelight for hosting ‘Music Splash’, a 30-minute music programme on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation TV.

Editor for the magazine, Agnes Mizere, said interviewing Kapusa on his HIV status was a memorable experience, describing the TV personality as a “brave and courageous character”.

“As Times Lifestyle Magazine, we are proud that Kapusa accepted to share his story with our readers. He is brave and he has set a good example to his fellow media personalities and other well-known people in the country,” said Mizere.

The Times Lifestyle Magazine, in its 10th edition since it was launched two years ago, features diverse stories, ranging from love life, culture, arts, fashion and tips for healthy living.

Times Group sales and marketing manager, Dumisani Ngulube, said the magazine has always striven to deliver stories that are not only well-researched but also finely written as a way of encouraging the public to read it from cover to cover.

“As a family magazine, we have always seen to it that it remains appealing to all members of any family. It features human interest stories and we also do our best that the editorial content should also include issues to do with fashion so as to enrich our readers’ knowledge and make them become or remain trendy,” said Ngulube.

He said, since the launch of the magazine, there has been AN overwhelming response from readers within and outside Malawi, especially on the magazine’s Facebook page, with most of them calling for the launch of the magazine’s online version.

“Being a publication that is supported by one of the country’s oldest publishing houses, many people have fallen in love with our magazine, which is complemented by brilliant designing. The online publication of the magazine is coming soon and this will greatly help us reach the youth who are highly technologically connected” said Ngulube.

The magazine, distributed nationwide, is printed by the company’s commercial section called Times Printpack.