South Africans react to missing Tembisa 10: Where are the nation’s babies?

If you’re following the Tembisa 10 story with bated breath, you might have to hold it a little while longer.

Tembisa 10: Latest update

As of Tuesday, the whereabouts of the Tembisa 10 remains a mystery. Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi said the “sensitive probe is ongoing”.

Rampedi has since clarified he is not the family’s spokesperson and they “merely entrusted” him with their story. This is in contrast to last week when he was widely cited as the spokesperson and mocked those questioning his reporting on the story.

Steve Biko hospital, Louis Pasteur Hospital and Mediclinic Medforum confirmed neither Gosiame Sithole nor her 10 babies were admitted to any of their facilities. Father Teboho Tsotetsi says he last saw Sithole the day before she supposedly gave birth.

Sithole told the Steve Biko hospital administration she had given birth at the Louis Pasteur Hospital in Pretoria on 7 June, while Tsotetsi was led to believe she had given birth at the Mediclinic Medforum Hospital with the assistance of “four doctors, two gynaecologists and five nurses”.

In addition, the Gauteng health department said it had been “unable to verify the authenticity of this birth at our facilities”.

We have now checked with all private hospitals in the province and none of them performed such deliveries.

Missing triplets

That’s not even the most mind-boggling part. According to News 24, family members expressed concern over the whereabouts of her triplets. According to a family member, Sithole gave birth to the triplets in 2018 before “disappearing”.

Sithole reportedly denied the father’s family access to the triplets. The family tried to make contact a year later and “went to their house in Soweto but they were not there”.

Now that Piet Rampedi has refused any further interviews and the Gauteng provincial government said it would not be commenting further, there’s not much else left to do but to show how South Africans reacted to the controversy.

Enjoy!

There was only one single concrete detail provided in the #Tembisa10 baby story and that was the bank account number. #REDALERT

— Madeleine Fullard (@mfullard2) June 14, 2021

https://twitter.com/Kai_WithNoX/status/1404688870218809346

https://twitter.com/RiotAndAttackSA/status/1404764624155721730

LORD OF THE MEDIA 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Piet #Tembisa10 pic.twitter.com/k7CC1454Cr

— RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNER 2023 🇿🇦 (@mangope_sam) June 9, 2021

Piet hard at work trying to save his own creation #Tembisa10 from collapse🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/UiMAtBILQY

— Nduzana (@Nduzana1) June 15, 2021

Two babies: Twins
Three babies: Triplets
Ten babies: Non-Existentlets

#Tembisa10 pic.twitter.com/9G5Bk9JXqt

— MANDLA-M 🇿🇦 (@MandlaMhlanga_) June 15, 2021

Piet, trying to sort out the Tembisa 10 equation in front of during South Africans. 🙆🏽‍♂️
😂😂😂#Tembisa10 pic.twitter.com/wTaZxANKmM

— MOSS™🇿🇦🏳️‍🌈 (@_officialMoss) June 15, 2021

https://twitter.com/AdvoBarryRoux/status/1404752858914996232

And why are the tentripletstwins trending today #Tembisa10 🤔 pic.twitter.com/i1an7SkDeI

— Positive Vibes (@Tears12Tears) June 15, 2021

Can the doctor who told her she is carrying 10 babies come forward please. #Tembisa10 pic.twitter.com/UhiDmgRGbD

— Mpho Gift Teffo (@MphoGiftTeffo) June 15, 2021