By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
There is still no official record of the 10 babies allegedly born to a Tembisa couple this week.
Teboho Tsotetsi and Gosiame Thamara Sithole from Tembisa, on the East Rand, are apparently the proud parents of 10 babies after Sithole allegedly gave birth to seven boys and three girls on Monday at an unknown hospital.
This is according to exclusive interviews with the Pretoria News, which appeared to have conducted a masterclass in protecting its sources so tightly not even government could find them.
Father of decuplets Tebogo Tsotetsi shares how he felt when he heard the news that his wife had given birth to 10 babies.
Video: Henk Kruger/ African News Agencyhttps://t.co/h7wcV4J4rd#NationalBabyShower #10Babies pic.twitter.com/X922rFvLL0— IOL News (@IOL) June 9, 2021
VIDEO 2
Decuplets father, Teboho Tsotetsi, on the state of disbelief he found himself in when he first heard of his wife Gosiame Sithole’s pregnancy with 10 babies. @IndyMediaSA #GuinnessWorldRecord #NationalBabyShower pic.twitter.com/X3h78G9Mge— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) June 9, 2021
Late Wednesday afternoon, Gauteng government spokesperson Thabo Masebe said in a statement it “conducted a thorough check with all hospitals in the province to establish the veracity or otherwise of the report”.
“None of the hospitals in the province, public and private, have any records of such a delivery.”
MEDIA STATEMENT || GAUTENG GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO PUBLIC ENQUIRY ON THE BIRTH OF DECUPLETS. pic.twitter.com/Oaso7MmzJM
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) June 9, 2021
Gauteng department of health spokesperson Philani Mhlungu also confirmed their facilities didn’t have such information.
“We are told she delivered in a private hospital,” Mhlungu said. Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday was also nonplussed at the news, having failed to reach the media house to ratify the news making headlines around the world.
The newly appointed spokesperson for the couple, Makgoshi Maponyane, has been unreachable on WhatsApp and her direct telephone line.
The search for the seemingly happy couple continued as various private hospitals confirmed the birthing did not happen at their facilities.
“We can confirm that the babies were not born at a Netcare hospital,” said Natasha Burger, spokesperson for the Netcare Group.
Elzaan de Beer, spokesperson for Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital, also shrugged her shoulders about the birth of the babies.
The Life Care Group did not respond to attempts for comment.
Dr Eric Pule, spokesperson for Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, confirmed the birthing did not take place at either of the university’s hospitals.
The initial story left many confused, including Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina and the deputy director-general of the Government Communication and Information System, Phumla Williams, who went on a wild goose chase to find the 10 Tembisa babies.
Dear @mirriamp we’ve found the family and we are informed babies are well. Will share the information with National Gov, I know we were a joke ystday when Gov was genuinely looking for family. Some of our local comrades have been assisting this family. So we are good OK?
— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) June 9, 2021
Nazooo from the horses mouth. Not my hand writing South Africa pic.twitter.com/bmLWUXhYJk
— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) June 9, 2021
However, Masina said they have found the happy family.