Dad Of Record-Breaking Ten Babies Says Pregnancy Was A Hoax In Statement

Jun 16, 2021 by apost team

On June 7, 2021, a woman in Tembisa, South Africa, 'broke' the Guinness World Record by birthing ten babies as a set of ‘decuplets.’ The record was previously held by Malian Halmia Cissé, who had given birth to a total of nine children in Morrocco just last month. Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, was only expecting eight children when doctors delivered an unexpected ten. The mother from Tembisa Township in Ekurhuleni birthed her seven boys and three girls by Caesarean section. According to Pretoria News, Sithole already has 6-year-old twins at home, and she told the outlet that the decuplets were naturally conceived and not through any type of fertility treatment. Now that the babies are born, the father, Tebogo Tsotetsi, has not yet seen proof that the babies exist and identified the pregnancy as a hoax. Through a series of statements given to news outlets from both Tsotetsi and Sithole, the mystery unfolds as Tsotetsi has not seen proof of the babies and has reported the children and the mother as missing. 

Tsotetsi’s family has even gone so far as to apologize for the embarrassment that the decuplets were a hoax. However, mother Sithole has released a statement saying that the Tsotetsi family’s suspicions are false and that she reserves her right not to disclose the location of the babies.

Now BBC has reported that the pregnancy was indeed a hoax, and Sithole has been located and taken in for testing that ultimately revealed that she was not recently pregnant. Local authorities also revealed that they had never seen the babies.

According to Pretoria News, father Tebogo Tsotetsi originally gave a glowing statement to the press after the birth. He said:

“It’s seven boys and three girls. She was seven months and seven days pregnant. I am happy. I am emotional. I can’t talk much. Let’s talk again in the morning please.”

The babies were born at 29 weeks when they broke the Guinness World Record, just after the previous Malian record-holder Halmia Cissé birthed nine babies in Morrocco in May. Sithole herself was shocked about her pregnancy. According to Pretoria News, she said in a statement: 

“I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it.”

When doctors told Sithole that she was pregnant with octuplets, she couldn’t believe them. She said:

“I didn’t believe it. I doubted it. I was convinced that if it was more, it would be twins or triplets, not more than that. When the doctor told me, I took time to believe it. Even when I saw the scans I didn’t believe it. But, as time went by, I realised it was indeed true. I battled to sleep at night though.”

Sithole gave birth on June 7, 2021, in Tembisa, Gauteng, South Africa.

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However, little did Tsotetsi know he would never meet the decuplets he fathered. According to News 24, Tsotetsi’s family made a statement after the birth:

“He (Tsotetsi) made several attempts to visit his girlfriend and the babies but she has failed to disclose her whereabouts and the condition of their babies. The current uncertainties and public discourse about the decuplets is of major concern to the family, especially in the absence of any proof of the decuplets existence other than telephonic and WhatsApp messages from the mother.”

Most recently, mother Sithole has refuted the claim that her birth was a hoax. According to News 24, Sithole gave her own statement to Pretoria News. She said:

“I’m hurting. Everything they [the Tsotetsi family] said about me is incorrect. They are unfair. They are doing things to abuse me.”

The mother went on to explain how she felt the Tsotetsi family just wanted money:

“They were expecting to be wealthy through donations. No one will force me to reveal where my (10 babies) are. I will reveal their location in my own time, and no one is going to force me to tell where they are.”

According to the BBC, the pregnancy has been confirmed to be fake. Sithole has been located by social workers and admitted to the hospital on Friday, June 18, 2021. Tests revealed that Sithole was not even recently pregnant. Pretoria News, one of the first outlets to report the story, has now received criticism for poor reporting. Local authorities and reporters said that they never saw the babies in person, and only relied on personal testament and WhatsApp messages between family members. 

What do you think about the fake pregnancy? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones!