Many agree that love is such a beautiful thing and can get people to act out of character. This is even more true when talking about an elderly couple whose love for each other never wavered. Such was the case with a 70 year old man, Arnold Tembo whose love for his wife got him in big trouble.
Tembo was caught on the wrong side of the law because he had to rush to be with his wife. His wife, Joan Tembo had been admitted into Lentegeur Hospital in Cape Town for Covid-19. However, the situation became more complicated when she was then diagnosed with water in her lungs. As a result of the hospital restrictions, Tembo was not able to see his wife for four weeks.
After four weeks he received a call from the hospital telling him to come urgently as his wife was dying. Unfortunately, while speeding to make it in time, he was caught and arrested by the police. According to Tembo, the police even refused to verify his story and locked him up while his wife died alone in hospital.
The elderly man is said to have been crying uncontrollably whilst in his cell. This caught the attention of SAPS officers at Manenberg Police Station who disapproved of the way the traffic police had handled the situation saying that it was inhumane. The traffic police defended themselves saying Tembo was driving at a dangerously fast speed and even went through a red traffic light.
The charges were later dropped but unfortunately Tembo was too late. Speaking to a South African media outlet after burying his wife in March, the elderly man said although he was relieved that the charges were dropped, he was still traumatised that he didn’t get to say goodbye.
Despite this sad ending, the Daily Voice reported that although the City empathise with the man, his situation did not give him the right to break the law.
Once again, love seems to be a powerful force. We have previously shared the story of a 76 year old man who committed suicide because of heartbreak.
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