Gosiame Sithole, The Woman Who ‘Gave Birth’ To 10 Babies Unmasked
Gosiame Sithole made headlines in 2021 when she reportedly gave birth to ten babies, but where is she now?
Social media has been abuzz as Mzansi tries to connect the dots about Gosiame Sithole’s whereabouts three years after reportedly giving birth to ten babies. The incident happened in 2021 in Pretoria, Johannesburg.
However, against the news, Guinness World Records told the BBC that it was investigating what would be a new world record.
- No hospitals in Gauteng province have a record of decuplets being born, the provincial government says.
- Medical tests show that Ms Sithole had not even been pregnant recently, it said.
- The 37-year-old is now being held under the mental health act for observation and will be provided with support.
- The statement did not elaborate on the reasons behind the fabrication of the story.
Gosiame Sithole’S Husband Teboho Tsotetsi: ‘Seven Boys And Three Girls’
However, three years later, the world hasn’t heard anything about Gosiame Sithole apart from allegedly giving birth to ten babies. Against the backdrop of the news, Gosiame Sithole’s husband confirmed that his wife had given birth to decuplets despite the scan saying otherwise.
Speaking to Pretoria News in 2021, he said, “It’s seven boys and three girls. Honestly, I am happy. I am emotional. I can’t talk much.” However, a close family member confirmed that Gosiame Sithole gave birth to ten babies.
Reports have it that she gave birth to five via natural birth, while the other five were delivered via caesarean section. Gosiame Sithole previously gave birth to twins. They were six years old at the time of the incident.
Fake News
Against the reports, Gauteng’s provincial government downplayed the news and threatened to take legal action against IOL, which first published the article. The provincial government made it known that no hospital in the province had a record of decuplets, as alleged.
After a series of medical tests, results revealed that Gosiame Sithole was never pregnant. However, despite the provincial government rubbishing the news, IOL stood by their story.
The media outlet revealed that Sithole delivered the children at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. The publication claims that the provincial government was trying to downplay the news.
Where Is She Now?
She last hogged headlines in 2021. A year later, a 57-page report was released. The report dismissed claims that Gosiame Sithole was wrongfully confined for a mental healthcare observation.
The report also established that her admission for mental health observation ‘may have been warranted.’ It also downplayed that the provincial government had encouraged Sithole’s husband to report her missing so she could be arrested.
However, she voluntarily turned to the police to resolve the inquiry about the missing person. Against the report, Gosiame Sithole revealed that she gave birth to decuplets, but she has no access to them.
Piet Rampedi, editor of Pretoria News, and Iqbal Survé, Executive Chairman of Independent Media, which owns Pretoria News, backed her up.
Guinness World Records
Failure to prove that Gosiame Sithole gave birth to ten babies saw Halima Cisse keeping her world record as the only person to give birth to more babies in a single birth.
On the other hand, a woman who gave birth to eight children in the US holds a Guinness World Record for the most children delivered at a single birth who survive. She has held the record since 2009.
South African 10 Babies Story Not True, Inquiry Finds
African News Agency (ANA) Gosiame Thamara Sithole pictured a month agoAfrican News Agency (ANA)
A claim that South African woman Gosiame Sithole gave birth to 10 babies earlier this month is not true, an official inquiry has found.
- No hospitals in Gauteng province have a record of decuplets being born, the provincial government says.
- Medical tests show that Ms Sithole had not even been pregnant recently, it said.
- The 37-year-old is now being held under the mental health act for observation and will be provided with support.
- The statement did not elaborate on the reasons behind the fabrication of the story.
BBC Africa Live: Updates from the continent
Independent Online (IOL), the media group which owns the Pretoria News that first reported the story, had stood by its reporting.
It went on to allege that Ms Sithole delivered the children on 7 June at Steve Biko Academic Hospital (SBAH) in the capital, Pretoria, saying staff were ill prepared.
It accused the hospital and the provincial health authorities of trying to cover up medical negligence.
“These allegations are false, unsubstantiated and only serve to tarnish the good reputation of Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the Gauteng Provincial Government,” the latest statement said.
Legal action would be taken against the editor-in-chief of Pretoria News, Piet Rampedi, and IOL, it said.
Where Did The Story Come From?
Ms Sithole, who has six-year-old twins, and her partner Teboho Tsotetsi lived in Thembisa, a township with many working-class residents in Gauteng province near Johannesburg.
According to IOL, they attended the same church as Rampedi where he was introduced to them in December. In May it is alleged he interviewed the couple who said they were expecting eight babies – a photoshoot shows Ms Sithole looking heavily pregnant.
The birth of a surprise 10 babies was announced by Pretoria News on 8 June quoting Mr Tsotetsi as the source. He later said he had received text messages from his partner telling him about it, adding he was not allowed at the hospital because of coronavirus restrictions.
Rampedi also relied on WhatsApp messages – and did not get independent confirmation from the hospital of the story.
Their local mayor then confirmed the births – which is when other outlets, including the BBC, published the story – but a government spokesman later said the politician only had the family’s word and no-one had yet seen the babies.
Donations began flooding in for the couple and their reported babies, dubbed the “Thembisa 10”, including 1m rand ($70,000; £50,000) from IOL chairman Iqbal Survé.
But the story drew suspicion after Pretoria News initially failed to disclose the hospital where the babies were born and a series of hospitals in Gauteng came out to deny their involvement.
Ten days after the alleged births, IOL made the accusations against SBAH.
The couple seemed to fall out in the aftermath with Mr Tsotetsi reporting her missing and asking people to stop donations a week later, while Ms Sithole accused him of wanting to benefit financially from the babies, the Pretoria News reported.
Meanwhile social workers managed to track down Ms Sithole and she was admitted to hospital for tests last Friday, the Gauteng provincial authorities say.
A leaked memo seen by News24 alleges that Rampedi has recently apologised to IOL for “the reputational damage” the story has caused the group, saying he should have treated it more like an investigative piece rather than a “feel-good story”.
