Piet Rampedi on SABC News. Picture: Screenshot.
Piet Rampedi, veteran journalist who recently sent shockwaves across the country with his ‘Tembisa 10’ story alleging that a Pretoria woman had given birth to decuplets, has resigned from Independent Media.
The story of Gosiame Sithole, a woman gave birth to 10 babies, caught local and international attention, but a report confirmed that there was no evidence the babies’ mother was ever pregnant.
Acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka released her 57-page report into the matter in December, following a complaint by the father of the still-unseen miracle babies in June of last year.
Independent Media owner Iqbal Survé defended Rampedi by invoking allegations of an international child smuggling ring and a conspiracy against his company.
Steve Biko Hospital and others, as well as government departments, are allegedly part of a human-trafficking ring that exploits vulnerable patients, especially vulnerable black women, Survé alleged.
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The PP’s office used documents and interviews with several of the doctors and management of the facilities where the babies were allegedly born, and found several discrepancies in the mother’s story and evidence from her employers that it was unlikely she was ever really pregnant.
According to the PP, Sithole was never admitted at Steve Biko Hospital for delivery of decuplets in 2021 and her details do not appear on the Nominal Admission Register and the Medico Report at the facility.
It is also not where she allegedly gave birth, since she named Steve Biko Hospital, Sunninghill Hospital, and Mediclinic Medforum Hospital, at different times, while all these facilities disputed that she was ever a patient.
READ MORE: Tembisa decuplets hoax put to rest: Public Protector finds no evidence of babies’ birth
Rampedi has had more than 20 years of mainstream media experience in both print and broadcasting and has worked for The Star, SABC, City Press and Sunday Times.
Rampedi joined Independent Media in March 2019 as head of its investigative unit. In the same year, he was appointed as deputy editor of the Sunday Independent.
In January 2021, Rampedi was appointed editor of the Pretoria News.
“Independent Media thanks Rampedi for his service and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” said editor-in-chief of Independent Media Aziz Hartley.
Independent Media announced that Kennedy Mudzuli will take over as an acting editor with effect from 1 February.
-Additional reporting by: Earl Coetzee
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