No hospitals in Gauteng province have a record of decuplets being born, the provincial government says. Medical tests show that Ms Sithole had not even been pregnant recently, it said.The 37-year-old is now being held under the mental health act for observation and will be provided with support.
The statement did not elaborate on the reasons behind the fabrication of the story. Independent Online (IOL), the media group which owns the Pretoria News that first reported the story, had stood by its reporting.
“These allegations are false, unsubstantiated and only serve to tarnish the good reputation of Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the Gauteng Provincial Government,” the latest statement said.
Where did the story come from? Ms Sithole, who has six-year-old twins, and her partner Teboho Tsotetsi lived in Thembisa, a township with many working-class residents in Gauteng province near Johannesburg.
