[LISTEN] Independent Media, Rampedi face legal battle for ‘falsified’ Tembisa 10 story
Independent Media and senior investigative journalist Piet Rampedi now face legal action for falsified reports on the birth of 10 babies to one woman.
Earlier this month, the media stable released an exclusive report on the miraculous delivery of 10 babies by 37-year-old Gosiame Sithole, what would have been a first in the world.
The publication claimed Sithole gave birth to seven boys and three girls at a Pretoria hospital.
Local and international media chased the story to no end, until South African government denied having record of the record-breaking babies at state facilities.
The private sector was also questioned but came up empty.
Rampedi slammed the provincial government, accusing them of “gross negligence and a coverup of mammoth proportions”.
The story quickly unravelled when the alleged father also denied the existence of the decuplets - turning the feel-good story into a media circus.
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Gauteng government spokesperson Thabo Masebe says medical tests were conducted on the woman and found no signs of having given birth recently.
“Ms Sithole was admitted to Tembisa hospital on 18 June 2021, and various medical tests were conducted on her to determine her state of health. Initially, she was meant to be kept at the hospital for 72 hours, which lapsed on Tuesday, 22 June.
“Upon completing their preliminary examination on Monday, 21 June, her doctors recommended that she be kept at the hospital for a further 7 days for further observation
“It has now been established by medical practitioners that Ms Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times. It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times,” Masebe says.
He adds government is concerned by the conduct of the media group.
“The provincial government has instructed the State Attorney to institute legal action against Mr Rampedi and the Independent Group.
“There was no coverup. The lady was never admitted in hospital, there was no truth at all in the claim that there was a coverup by the state, whether by the Premier, by the MEC or the CEO of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital,” says Masebe.
“What we want is for them retract all these false allegations and of course, apologist all the people mentioned in the allegations.”
It’s understood donations were made in the form of money and baby items to help alleviate the pressure on the unemployed couple, including a R1 million cash injection by the Independent Media Group.
Listen to Masebe below:
