Pretoria super mom Gosiame Sithole has received the nation’s warm embrace after it was announced that on Monday night, the 37-year-old gave birth to 10 babies, also known as the Tembisa 10.
Gosiame Sithole: Govt struggles to trace Tembisa 10
Soon after IOL News broke the story about Sithole’s record-breaking decuplets birth, South Africa got to work with a national fundraiser, in a bid to assist the mom who already has a set of six-year-old twins.
From regular citizens to local brands, everyone was ready to chip in where they could. The government was committed to aiding Sithole too but in vetting her story, a strange thing happened — no record of 10 babies birthed at a Pretoria hospital on Monday evening was found.
Director-General of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Phumla Williams, took to social media to plead with IOL to assist with efforts in tracking down Sithole and her decuplets.
We have spent a better part of today tracing the story of @IOL of a woman having given birth to 10 babies! @IOL can you please help the public where this birth happened!
— phumla williams (@mirriamp) June 8, 2021
A woman who identified herself as a family member of Sithole and her husband Tebogo Tsotetsi, tried to clarify the growing concerns over the validity of the story.
In a series of tweets, the user, only known as Lerato, assured netizens that the decuplets are alive and the story is very much true. However, to protect the children from a media frenzy, certain details can’t be shared at this time. Particularly due to the fact that the 10 babies are said to be under close watch in incubators. After all, the 10 babies were born at 29 weeks (seven months and seven days).
They in a private hospital which we cant disclose the name to avoid media frenzy,’arebafeng chance bakokotlele hle’ dy stil fragile for more info plz contact Piet Rampedi,I thank you
— Lerato Tsotetsi (@LeratoT86611810) June 9, 2021
Sithole is pleading for Mzansi’s assistance
The cited publication that broke the story published an update on Wednesday. While no fruitful information on the validity of the story was found, Sithole was offered a platform to make a plea to those who do believe her record-breaking feat:
“I appeal to the public to help me in whatever way they can. Anybody who has anything I would appreciate it. I am relying on my mother-in-law now. She is old, lives on her old age pension and has grandchildren. I will also need people who can volunteer to help me raise the children – helpers,” she said.
Before the historic pregnancy, it’s said that Sithole was a retail store manager. However, the complicated journey she undertook, carrying 10 babies in her womb forced her to quit as her “body couldn’t take it anymore.”
A concerted effort has been made to assist Sithole in setting up a crowdfunding campaign. Here’s how you can help the 37-year-old:
Cash donations
Ms GT Sithole
Absa
Account number 9354679538
Mr T Tsotetsi
Capitec
Account number 1488629054
Gauteng donation drop-offs
You can drop off any essentials at the following address:
At the time this article was published, Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina was able to confirm, on the government’s behalf, that the decuplets story is 100% true.
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
Moreover, the Guinness Book of World Records has, at this time, not updated the listing for the woman with the most babies birthed at once record, a feat currently held by a Malian woman, Halima Cissé, who welcomed nine babies in May 2021.
