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Mom of 'Tembisa 10' had not given birth nor was pregnant 'in recent times': Gauteng government

The Gauteng government on Wednesday said that medical observations had found that Gosiame Sithole had not given birth and was not pregnant 'in recent times'. Stock photo.
The Gauteng government on Wednesday said that medical observations had found that Gosiame Sithole had not given birth and was not pregnant 'in recent times'. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/KATI FINNELL

The mother of SA's so-called “Tembisa 10" babies, Gosiame Sithole, has not given birth and was not pregnant “in recent times”.

This is according to the Gauteng government in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon. The findings, it said, came after Sithole was taken in for observation at Tembisa Hospital.

Spokesperson Thabo Masebe said an investigation was done after an initial report in the Pretoria News, which claimed that the babies had been born in a Pretoria hospital.

Independent Media, which publishes the Pretoria News, had stood by its story, and accused government officials of a “cover up” when they questioned the veracity of the report. Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi, who wrote the story, has since apologised to colleagues for it.

As a result of the findings regarding her not being pregnant nor giving birth, the provincial government said it had “instructed the state attorney to institute legal action against Mr Rampedi and the Independent Group”.

Masebe said on Wednesday that social development department social workers had reached out to Sithole as they were concerned about her state of heath. They had arranged for her to be admitted at the Tembisa Hospital for observation on June 18.

Her stay has since been extended for the rest of the week, said Masebe, after a preliminary investigation.

“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.”

The government would continue to provide support for Sithole.

TimesLIVE


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