When Gosiame Thamara Sithole claimed to have given birth to ten babies at once, her story quickly went viral around the world.
However, as the news spread and captured global attention, authorities decided to investigate further. The results revealed an unexpected truth, sparking controversy and widespread discussion.
The news was first reported by the *Pretoria News* in June 2021, which claimed that the 37-year-old Sithole gave birth to her decuplets at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa. According to the report, Sithole and her partner, Teboho, who lived in a working-class township in Gauteng province near Johannesburg, were initially expecting eight babies but were shocked after the birth of ten. Several prominent international outlets, including the *BBC*, picked up the story.
The babies were nicknamed the “Tembisa 10” by *Pretoria News*, and at the time, the story seemed credible, with numerous details supporting it. Sithole was even quoted by the newspaper before the birth, saying, “I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it.”
However, as skepticism grew, authorities launched an investigation. The couple had received substantial donations, and the scale of the story had raised doubts. The inquiry revealed that no hospital, either public or private, had any records of such a birth.
Moreover, authorities declared that Sithole had not even been pregnant. The Gauteng Provincial Government stated, “It has now been established by medical practitioners that Ms. Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times. It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times.”
This revelation raised the question: why would someone fabricate a story about giving birth to ten babies? Authorities were unable to provide a clear answer, especially as Piet Rampedi, the journalist who initially reported the story, stood by his claims. Independent Media, which owns *Pretoria News*, defended the article, stating, “Instead of being a cause for celebration, however, it has resulted in an orchestrated campaign to discredit the story, the mother of the decuplets Ms. Sithole, the *Pretoria News’* editor, Piet Rampedi, as well as Independent Media and its chairperson, Dr. Iqbal Survé, with claims that the story is ‘fake news.’ It is not, and we stand by our story.”
Facing potential legal action, Rampedi later admitted there were errors in his reporting. As a close friend of Sithole and her partner, he said he saw her with a large baby bump and only learned of the supposed decuplets through a text message she sent him. Reflecting on his reporting, he conceded, “Could I have handled the story much better? Definitely! Especially the verification process. Quite honestly, I never treated the decuplets story as an investigation at all. I used no investigative tool or checklist.”
Despite these admissions, the reasons behind Sithole’s false claims remain unclear. Authorities continue to investigate, and the case is still shrouded in mystery.
