Politics

NPA Drops Charges Against Man Arrested for Speeding to See Dying Wife

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 4:21 PM by Reeshni Chetty

- The 70-year-old man who was arrested last week after speeding has had all charges against him dropped

- Arnold Tembo was on his way to see his dying wife in hospital when officers pulled him over

- The NPA has decided not to prosecute Tembo but the elderly man stated that he was still traumatised from the incident

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An elderly Cape Town man whose arrest made headlines across the country has been cleared of all criminal charges. Arnold Tembo was arrested as he rushed to say goodbye to his dying wife, Joan.

Tembo received the news on Tuesday as he buried 74-year-old Joan. The National Prosecuting Authority reportedly declined to prosecute Tembo. 70-year-old Tembo was left heartbroken after the traffic cops him last week.

Reports say that Tembo was stopped on Jakes Gerwel Drive while on his way to the hospital his wife was in. The officers who arrested Tembo did not verify his story and arrested him instead while his wife died.

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Charges against man arrested for speeding while trying to see dying wife dropped — The Cape Town man who arrested for speeding to his dying wife has had all charges against him dropped. Image: Stock
Source: Getty Images

According to IOL, Tembo and his wife were both diagnosed with Covid-19 but Joan had unfortunately faced water in her lungs. The report continued by saying that due to Covid-19 regulations, the couple was separated for around four weeks.

News24 reported that by the time officers finished taking Tembo's statement and releasing him from their custody, his wife had already passed away. Tembo revealed that he was traumatised by the incident.

Tembo said the officers did not listen to him. According to the distraught widower, he pleaded with officers to put him in their patrol car to take him to the hospital. He was unable to hear his wife's last words.

In other news, Briefly.co.za reported that the NPA had dropped all charges against Norma Mngoma. Mngoma was arrested in July 2020 on charges of crimen injuria and malicious damage to property.