In June 2021, Gosiame Thamara Sithole, a South African woman, claimed to have given birth to ten babies at once, attracting global media attention. The story, first reported by *Pretoria News*, stated that she delivered the babies at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
The so-called “Tembisa 10” were said to have astonished even medical professionals, with the couple initially expecting eight babies. The story quickly gained traction, with outlets like the BBC covering it.
However, doubts arose as no hospital records or official confirmations could validate the claim.
An investigation later revealed that no hospital, public or private, had any record of the birth. Authorities confirmed that Sithole had never been pregnant. Despite this, *Pretoria News* and its editor, Piet Rampedi, stood by the story, insisting it wasn’t fake news.
Rampedi, who was a friend of Sithole’s, eventually admitted that the story was poorly handled, acknowledging, “Could I have handled the story much better? Definitely,” and admitting he didn’t verify the claims properly.
The reasons behind the hoax remain unclear, although media attention and donations may have played a role.