Gauteng government says decuplets’ birth is not yet verified
Despite government being unable to confirm the birth, Independent Online has published an exclusive interview with the parents.
Following widespread reports of a Thembisa woman giving birth to decuplets and potentially becoming a Guinness World Records recordholder, the Gauteng government says it has been unable to verify the births.
In a statement yesterday (June 8), government said they noted media reports and social media posts about a South African woman who was said to have given birth to 10 babies and reportedly broken the world record for the most babies born from a single pregnancy.
The articles and posts reported that Gosiame Thamara Sithole and her husband Teboho Tsotetsi from Gauteng became the parents of 10 babies on Tuesday.
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
However, yesterday government spokesperson Phumla Williams said government had been unable to verify the authenticity of the birth at its health facilities. “We need to verify this story and provide assistance where needed,” she said.
City of Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina also voiced his concerns.
https://twitter.com/mzwandileMasina/status/1402316271190949888?s=20
However, despite government’s claims, this morning (June 9) Independent Online published an exclusive interview with the ducuplets’ parents, in which they appealed to the public for financial assistance after the birth of their children.
Caxton Local Media is awaiting further comment from the Gauteng government as well as Guinness World Records regarding the matter.
