Living With HIV: Criselda Dudumashe Recounts Her 19-year Journey

Criselda Dudumashe

South Africa's former FM Presenter, Criselda Dudumashe has gone to Social Media to write a touching message reliving the moment she realised she was HIV positive.
Criselda also a motivational speaker who has dedicated her life to being a source of inspiration to people living with HIV/AIDS took a trip down memory lane on Tuesday to the day doctors told her she had two years to live.
She felt nothing but hopeless as she read the blank look on the doctor’s face.
Nevertheless, Criselda said she had to remind herself of the fighter she is. “‘How long doctor?’ as I barely whispered. I saw the blank look on his face. ‘How long do I have, living with this?’ Maximum, two years as you were lucky we discovered it early,” Criselda wrote.
According to Criselda, she always had to remind herself of her journey to inspire herself to keep fighting.
Subsequently, two years turned to 5 and then 10.
Against all odds, she has been actively living with HIV for the past 19 years.
In fact, she plans to fight on with everything little strength left in her. “It’s nineteen years later (and I’m still) I’m here. I just had to re-read my story as motivation to self.
My immune system is taking a knock, but I will not go down without a fight,” she wrote alongside a Bible quotation. Last month, the SABC confirmed that Criselda would be removed from her Metro FM gig.
This follows controversial comments she made about former Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana. The DJ was criticised for taking sides with Manana who faces assault charges.
At the time, Criselda shared a social media post, seemingly defending Manana’s character.
This was just days after it emerged that the minister allegedly assaulted a woman outside a Johannesburg bar.
However, it’s not yet clear if Criselda Dudumashe will come back to her job at the public broadcaster.