Ten things we know about the 10 maybe-babies and our thoughts on it

South Africans and even the world are now questioning the credibility of South African media following the reportage on the 10 maybe-babies from Thembisa, which Pretoria News and its editor Piet Rampedi identified as a new Guinness World Record.

There was still no evidence of their existence at the time of going to print.

Like the world media, Thembisan exhausted news-gathering processes to confirm the story reported by Pretoria News, to no avail.

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Ten things we know about the 10 maybe-babies

1. World record:

Guinness World Records Limited stated that the new world record was not confirmed.

“GWR is aware of the news that Sithole gave birth,” said GWR Limited senior publicist Jessica Dawes from London.

“Currently, we are yet to verify if this is a record. Our records team, alongside a specialist consultant, are looking into this,” said Dawes.

2. The photographer

The owner of a Facebook profile matching the name Thobile Mathonsi and the job profile of the photographer who reportedly photographed Sithole while pregnant replied to Thembisan that she had taken the photos.

Mathonsi, although receiving follow-up enquiries from Thembisan to provide the date and place where the photos were reportedly taken, did not respond at the time of going to print.

Thembisan also asked, “Apart from looking pregnant, was there any further confirmation (physical or medical reports) available to you as a photojournalist to confirm the credibility of the photo subject?”

No comment was received from Mathonsi and no photos have been taken of the so-called Thembisa 10.

3. The photos

African News Agency did not respond to Thembisan’s request to confirm or deny that Mathonsi had taken the photos following our media enquiry submitted via ANA’S website.

4. The “father”

Tebogo Tsotetsi initially acknowledged the babies’ existence.

In a statement by the Tsotetsi family, the birth of the decuplets to Gosiame Thamara Sithole from Thembisa is denied by the Tsotetsi family.

“With no proof of their existence, we firmly believe it is in the interests of everyone to conclude they do not exist until proven otherwise,” the family stated on June 15.

According to the family, Tebogo has not seen the decuplets and relied on Sithole for information.

“He made several attempts to visit her and the babies but she failed to disclose her whereabouts and the condition of their babies.”

The above comments were part of the statement that circulated on social media.

Thembisan is yet to receive confirmation from Russell Baloyi that the statement was issued by the family. Baloyi is identified as the contact person in the statement, which circulated on social media.

5. The “mother”

Despite initial reports by Pretoria News that Tsotetsi was Sithole’s husband, his family has since identified her as his girlfriend.

In videos released by the journalist who first wrote the story, Rampedi on Twitter, Sithole accused Tsotetsi of not informing her about the statement to be released by the family, which denies the babies’ existence.

She said she was “surprised” by the statement.

6. The mayor

Ekurhuleni executive mayor Clr Mzwandile Masina tweeted that his office had made contact with the family of the decuplets.

His social media post did not state that the babies had been located.

Spokesperson Zweli Dlamini has since commented that the city’s health and social development department visited the family and had contact with the family, but could not make physical

contact with the mother as she was allegedly at the hospital nor the father who was said to be in Cape Town at the time.

“There has not been any contact with the decuplets as it is alleged that they are in hospital,” said Dlamini.

In response to whether the CoE is in support of previous calls on the public to provide financial support to the family, Dlamini said social development officials cannot stop the family from taking part in any endeavour.

“As long as it is legal and above the board,” said Dlamini.

7. Birth records

Phumla Williams, the director-general of government communication, told the Thembisan that the government was unable able to trace any records of the birth of 10 babies to a woman from Thembisa.

“We checked with public and private health facilities in Gauteng and have not been able to confirm the birth of the babies,” said Williams.

Williams also called on IOL, which published Rampedi’s article online, to provide more information on the babies’ birth.

Thembisan’s call on its readers to come forward if they had any information on the mother, father or babies yielded no results apart from one anonymous phone call from a woman who said that Sithole was not Tsotetsi’s wife but his girlfriend.

No other information has been received despite our knowledge that our Thembisa residents are always eager to share information of relevance to their township and community.

8. Sanef
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) criticised Rampedi and Independent Media for what the forum described as “the collapse of journalistic ethics and standards in the reporting.”

“Rampedi interviewed the couple a month before the story was published and uncritically reported their version of events about the birth without verifying the facts with the hospital or doctors involved, as required by the Press Code of South Africa.”

The code states that journalists “must take care to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly.”

Sanef stated when journalists started to investigate, they were told by parties in the story that Rampedi told them not to speak to any other journalist and that he would speak on behalf of the family.

“Rampedi steadfastly refused to provide the name of the hospital or medical professionals involved. The Pretoria News and IOL further published a fund-raising campaign and published bank account details of a firm that was supposedly collecting donations for the family. Independent Media also asked its readers to deliver clothing and gifts for the children,” Sanef stated.

The forum further criticised Rampedi and Independent Media for continued reportage on the decuplets “without the basic facts having been confirmed nor established.”

“The Press Code is clear that journalists should take the utmost care when reporting on matters involving children. Even though Independent Media is not a signatory of the Press Code, it is clear that all journalistic standards were abandoned with the handling of this story,” Sanef stated.

9. Independent Media speaks

Soon after Sanef publicly criticised Rampedi, Independent Media issued a statement that the decuplets story is not fake news.Independent called it ‘a cover-up of mammoth proportions by Gauteng health authorities.’

The four-page statement includes a question addressed to health authorities as to the whereabouts of the babies.

10. The journalist

Despite numerous requests to Rampedi from the media, including Thembisan to provide more information, none was forthcoming.

He initially stated the family wished to not disclose further information for cultural reasons.

Soon after Sanef’s statement, Rampedi took to Twitter and shared videos of Sithole in which she stated she had no prior knowledge of the Tsotetsi family’s statement.
He now accuses health officials of a cover-up.

Editorial comment
This article, regrettably featuring our township’s name, has not only harmed the industry’s reputation but also caused an embarrassment for Thembisa – a township proudly owned by its residents.

SA media, especially those of us who actually serve as members of the Press Council of SA and adhere to the Press Code, are suffering the consequences as many news consumers, not understanding news-gathering processes and fact-checking, are criticising the media as a whole.

Independent Media is not a signatory of the Press Code and as stated by Sanef, it is clear that all journalistic standards were abandoned.

The Thembisan urges our readers to realise that this publication, under Caxton Local Newspaper and member of the Press Council, respects and abides by our Press Code. It is our bible.

The Thembisan’s reportage on the Thembisa 10 was not based on, nor a repeat of the information published by Pretoria News.

The first decuplets article published by Thembisan was only after fact-checking with Guinness World Records Limited, which emphasised that they were investigating.
Our reportage only included information that we were able to confirm.

The harm done to our credibility as an industry will be difficult to restore.

Thembisan reminds our readers that in all our reportage, we abide by our Press Code and when needed disclose our errors and correct them.

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