Woman Who Said She Gave Birth to 10 Babies at Once Was Lying, Authorities Claim

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When Gosiame Thamara Sithole claimed to have given birth to ten babies at once, her story spread across the globe like wildfire.

The astonishing claim prompted authorities to investigate further, eventually uncovering a shocking truth that sparked widespread controversy and debate.

The news of this unusual birth was first reported by Pretoria News in June 2021. They stated that the 37-year-old woman had delivered her babies at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa.

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Sithole and her partner, Teboho, from a working-class township in the Gauteng province near Johannesburg, were allegedly expecting eight babies. They were reportedly stunned when Sithole gave birth to ten. The story was picked up by major outlets, including the BBC, and quickly gained worldwide attention.

Pretoria News dubbed the babies the "Tembisa 10," and with so many details in play, the story appeared credible. At the time, there was no indication that the story might be fabricated.

Sithole was also said to have spoken to Pretoria News before the birth, describing her surprise and challenges during the pregnancy. According to the newspaper, she stated: “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.”

As skepticism grew, authorities decided to investigate further, particularly because the story had turned into global news, and the couple received numerous donations. A thorough investigation revealed that no hospital, whether public or private, had any records of such a birth.

Moreover, authorities stated that Sithole had not been pregnant at all.

“It has now been established by medical practitioners that Ms. Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times,” the Gauteng Provincial Government said. “It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times.”

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This revelation raised the question of why someone would fabricate such a story in the first place. Authorities remain uncertain, especially since the journalist who originally reported the story continued to defend his work. For a long time, he maintained that the story was genuine.

“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,” stated Independent Media.

As authorities threatened legal action against the journalist who broke the sensational news, Piet Rampedi, a close friend of Sithole and her husband, admitted that his report might have contained inaccuracies. He claimed to have seen Sithole with a large baby bump and only learned of the ten babies after she texted him about it.

“Even though I stand by the fact that Sithole was pregnant, some aspects of the story could have been dealt with differently. 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,” Piet wrote, according to News24.

He trusted Sithole and her partner, so he went ahead and published the extraordinary story.

To this day, it remains unclear why Sithole fabricated the pregnancy and the existence of the babies. In the meantime, the alleged mother has been offered assistance.

The story continues to be shrouded in mystery.

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