Tembisa 10 Piet Rampedi

The Tembisa 10’s Gosiame Sithole. Image: IOL/Twitter

Tembisa 10 ‘mother’ threatens legal action over ‘defamatory remarks’

Gosiame Sithole is demanding an apology from a journalist who claimed a medical exam confirmed she was never pregnant with the decuplets

Tembisa 10 Piet Rampedi

The Tembisa 10’s Gosiame Sithole. Image: IOL/Twitter

Gosiame Sithole, the woman who claims be the mother of the so-called Tembisa 10, has demanded that former Eyewitness News (EWN) Editor Mahlatse Mahlase and the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) apologise over utterances she says are untruthful.

Mahlase, who was also part of SANEF when the “story” broke, cited sources who claimed Sithole showed no signs of having given birth or even being pregnant. EWN reported that Sithole was medically examined by a medical team at the Thembisa Hospital, which was able to determine such, thus discrediting her claim about having birthed the decuplets.

In June 2021, Sithole dominated headlines when she claimed to have delivered seven boys and three girls via Caesarean section at an undisclosed Pretoria hospital. This would have earned her a spot in the Guiness Book of Records for the most children birthed by one woman at once. But the story would soon crumble as authorities, including the Gauteng government, were not able to prove the existence of the babies. Independent Media, which broke the story, maintains it is legitimate – even going on produce a docuseries which claims the decuplets were trafficked soon after they were born.

MOTHER OF TEMBISA 10 DEMANDS AN APOLOGY

Ten months since that infamous story, Gosiame Sithole is giving both SANEF and Mahlase until 11 April to apologise to her for claiming she was never even pregnant with the decuplets in the first place. She says both she and Teboho Tsotetsi, the supposed father of the babies, have since gotten married and are still looking for their children.

Sithole says she was told that the decuplets were taken from Steve Biko Academic Hospital to George Mkhari Hospital and that when she was released from hospital, was told she could go see them. But this never happened, according to her – and has laid charges against the CEO at Steve Biko.

“I would like SANEF and Mahlase to apologise to me and my husband immediately for their false and defamatory statements… If they don’t apologise, as poor as I am, I will instruct my lawyers, Gardee Gordich Attorneys to pursue the matter further. Mahlase and SANEF are abusing and taking advantage of me because I am a poor black woman, and have no means to fight them. They are treating me like a piece of dirt”

Gosiame Sithole