Everson Luhanga
Police sources confirmed on Friday that Gosiame Sithole, the woman the Pretoria News incorrectly claimed had 10 babies, had been put under psychiatric evaluation.
But they dismissed the latest reports by the Pretoria News that Sithole had been arrested and mistreated.
The Pretoria News’ story about the non existent world-beating Tembisa 10 has been on the rocks for days, with no sight of the children.
Eyewitness News on Friday said sources close to the investigation said a medical examination of Sithole had “shown that there was no pregnancy. It also shows that there are no physical scars to indicate a recent C-section”.
Dismissing the Pretoria News version of the latest developments, one police source said this is what actually happened:
- Sithole has been hiding at a relative in Rabie Ridge near Tembisa after the media storm erupted – first over the alleged births, and then as evidence mounted that they never happened.
- On Thursday 17 June police came to fetch from her relative’s house to take her to their district offices in Chloorkop, Ekurhuleni where she was questioned over reports she’d gone missing.
- She was not arrested or detained. “As the police, we cannot just arrest someone. We don’t have charges against her as she didn’t lie under oath about giving birth to 10 children,” the source said.
- The police then handed her over to the Gauteng social development department for psychiatric evaluation. Sithole spent the night at Tembisa Hospital.
Despite the wave of evidence against them, the Pretoria News, its owner Independent Media, and its editor Piet Rampedi have stuck to their guns and not retracted the story. They have not endorsed the alleged father Teboho Tsotetsi’s call to the public to stop giving donations.
They’ve said there’s been a “mammoth cover up” and rejected claims they’ve peddled fake news.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has launched an unprecedented attack on the story.
Redi Tlabi wrote on Twitter: “Mayor who claimed babies were real will just move on to his next political “job.” Publication will move on to its next “exclusive.” But this woman, competent or not, will have this hanging like an albatross around her neck forever. Whatever her motive, she did not write the story”.
