Multiple births have long intrigued people, inspiring awe and amazement. The capacity of a mother to give birth to numerous infants at once is highly unique and never fails to captivate observers.

While childbirth is a demanding task in and of itself, the idea of having several babies increases the difficulty exponentially.

The viral narrative of Gosiame Thamara Sithole stunned the world in the summer of 2021. Her astonishing story stunned everyone, forcing officials to investigate its veracity. The story’s unbelievable nature ignited a global debate, with questions about its integrity.

According to a Pretoria News article from June 2021, Gosiame Thamara Sithole, a 37-year-old South African lady, allegedly gave birth to ten infants at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. It was practically impossible for such news to go undetected. Therefore, word of this mind-boggling incident spread like wildfire.

The unexpected arrival of ten children surprised Gosiame and her boyfriend, Teboho, who come from working-class families. They had anticipated the arrival of eight children.

The story quickly gathered traction, grabbing the attention of numerous media sources and publications worldwide. People were taken aback since the thought of a mother giving birth to ten infants defied conventional wisdom and had the potential to gain a spot in the annals of world records.

The infants born to Gosiame were dubbed the ‘Tembisa 10’. Because Pretoria News had offered specific details surrounding the birth, the news felt tangible and intriguing. Gosiame had a cesarean section and gave birth to seven boys and three girls.

Her pregnancy was also said to have been unaided by reproductive procedures, adding to the surprise. Gosiame described her enormous surprise and concern throughout the pregnancy in a June 2021 interview.

She admitted to being scared but was looking forward to finally meeting her lovely babies. Gosiame wanted to ensure the health and well-being of all her children.

The effect of this incredible story inspired people from all walks of life to come together and donate $70,000 to help the parents face the enormous problems and expenses that come with raising ten infants.

Despite the first impression of authenticity, suspicions about the story’s reliability lingered.

In response to growing skepticism, the Gauteng Provincial Government conducted an investigation, revealing that the purported newborns did not exist.

No hospital in the province, public or private, has any records of such a historic birth taking place within its walls.

These revelations pushed officials to look into the issue further, which led to the shocking discovery that Gosiame had not been pregnant.

Subsequent medical checks at the hospital revealed that she had not just given birth. As it became clear that the woman’s pregnancy and following birth had been staged, the public was left with many unanswered questions.

Why would someone make up such a story? What drove the fabrication of this story, and who benefited from it?

Although it appeared that the story had ended, a shocking twist happened. The writer who first reported on this miraculous birth wrote a follow-up story accusing the authorities of seeking to suppress the truth, implying a purposeful cover-up to conceal the birth’s existence.

Instead of embracing and celebrating this incredible event, the journalist contended that officials chose to bury it, claiming that it never happened.

Understandably, the authorities filed a lawsuit against the journalist, citing false and defamatory accusations intended to harm the reputations of the government and the hospitals that had denied the birth’s reality.

Following that, journalist Piet Rampedi released a statement apologizing for his faults and expressing remorse for publishing the news without conducting a comprehensive investigation. “While I maintain that Sithole was pregnant,” Piet conceded, “there were aspects of the story that should have been approached differently.”

Could I have handled the story differently? Absolutely! Especially in terms of the verification procedure. I never considered the Decuplets article to be an inquiry.

I used no investigative tools or checklists.” Piet and Gosiame met in December 2020 after becoming acquaintances through their mutual religious community.”

During an interview, Gosiame stated that she expected to have eight children. Seeing Gosiame’s noticeably enormous belly, Piet believed her claim and reported the news without further investigation.

Piet had no idea that his piece would go viral around the world. This episode is a warning that we can not always trust everything we read on social media, in magazines, or in newspapers.

The information we receive must be subjected to critical analysis and logical inspection. In light of these developments, the authorities decided to provide Gosiame with medical care and any other assistance she may require.