Latoya Gwam‚ who died under controversial circumstances in Ekurhuleni on Christmas Eve‚ was born in a crèche while her mother waited for an ambulance.

This was revealed at a media conference called by her mother‚ Nontombi Gwam‚ in Johannesburg on Wednesday. Gwam‚ accompanied by her daughter’s father and Pastor Paseka Motsoeneng‚ known as Pastor Mboro‚ called the conference to provide an update on the circumstances leading to the toddler’s death.

Three neighbours requested to also have their voices heard at the briefing. One of them‚ Maria Shongwe‚ explained that Latoya’s birth occurred before an ambulance reached her mother who had gone into labour.

“The mother was in labour pains. We immediately called the ambulance and began to wait. We then realised that the ambulance is not coming quickly and we decide to walk so that it at least finds us on the tarred road. We walked a short a short distance and then realised that the mother wants to deliver the child. We were forced to rush into a nearby crèche where the mother delivered the child‚” said Shongwe.

Gwam previously explained that she took her daughter to Daveyton Main Clinic but understood that nurses were unable to help as they had no intravenous drips. She then decided to take the child to a private doctor who charged her R930 to put up a drip. Latoya recovered but later that night became restless and she was taken to Pastor Mboro’s church in Katlehong.

Mboro prayed for the child and later paramedics were summoned.

Gwam estimated that it took 90 minutes from the first call for an ambulance to arrive. Mboro and Gwam maintain that the child died in the ambulance‚ in the hands of paramedics.

Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa has called on all parties involved in the incident to refrain from blaming each other for the death of the child until an official investigation in completed.

This is a developing story.