Woman who claimed to give birth to 10 babies was lying, authorities say

In June 2021, a story about a woman from South Africa, Gosiame Thamara Sithole, spread like wildfire across the globe. She claimed to have given birth to ten babies at once, a rare and extraordinary event.

But as the world marveled at the news, questions began to surface. What seemed like a miraculous birth quickly turned into a tangled web of confusion and controversy.

The Incredible Story of the “Tembisa 10”

The news of Sithole’s alleged decuplets was first reported by Pretoria News. They claimed that the 37-year-old mother gave birth to her ten babies at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa. According to the report, Sithole and her partner Teboho Tsotetsi had been expecting eight children, but were shocked to welcome ten.

The story gained international attention, with major news outlets such as the BBC covering the event. Pretoria News even nicknamed the babies the “Tembisa 10,” after the township where the couple lived. The details seemed plausible, and no one initially doubted the authenticity of the story. Sithole herself was quoted as saying how difficult her pregnancy had been, expressing her hopes that all her babies would be born healthy.

Doubts Begin to Arise

As the story gained more attention, skepticism grew. Many people wondered how such a rare event could have occurred without medical records to verify it. The couple had reportedly received numerous donations, and this raised further concerns. Authorities eventually decided to investigate.

The findings were shocking: no hospital in South Africa, public or private, had any records of Sithole giving birth to ten babies. Even more startling, the Gauteng Provincial Government revealed that Sithole hadn’t been pregnant at all.

A story of a South African woman Gosiame Sithole who allegedly gave birth to 10 babies earlier this month is not true. https://t.co/IB9WT3T33Y

— Mpasho News (@MpashoNews) June 24, 2021

“It has now been established by medical practitioners that Ms. Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times,” the government stated, leaving many baffled as to how such an extraordinary story could unravel so dramatically.

Why Did the Story Spread?

One of the lingering questions is why someone would fabricate such a claim. According to Piet Rampedi, the journalist who first broke the story, he had known Sithole personally and believed she was telling the truth. He admitted that he hadn’t treated the story as an investigative piece and had trusted what she told him, including the text message she sent him claiming she had given birth to ten babies.

Rampedi later acknowledged that there were flaws in how he handled the story, particularly in the verification process. However, he stood by his belief that Sithole had been pregnant, even though authorities declared otherwise.

Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi has apologised to his colleagues for the damage his story on SA’s so-called “Thembisa 10” babies did to Independent Media’s reputation. https://t.co/nxfM16ifPt

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) June 22, 2021

A Story Shrouded in Mystery

To this day, the truth behind Sithole’s claims remains unclear. It’s still unknown why she and her partner would make such a bold, false claim, and the full motive behind the story has not been revealed. While some believe the couple was seeking attention or financial gain, others think there may be more to the story.

As of now, Sithole has reportedly been offered psychological help, but many questions remain unanswered. The case of the “Tembisa 10” has left the world puzzled, turning what was initially seen as a miracle into a controversial mystery.