’Tembisa 10’ mother to sue SANEF for defamatory statements

The mother of the ’Tembisa 10’ Gosiame Sithole and her husband Teboho Tsotetsi have released a statement intimating that they intend suing the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) and its former general secretary Mahlatse Mahlase for defamatory statements made against them.

On Wednesday, SANEF released a statement following an announcement by the International News Media Association (INMA) that Baby Trade - an eight part docuseries that has shone a spotlight on Sithole’s story was nominated as a finalist at their Global Media Awards. SANEF called on INMA to have the submission removed as a finalist and its entry disqualified. They also claimed Sithole was never pregnant.

However, Sithole and Tsotetsi have hit back at SANEF, describing their statement as “defamatory”.

“I would like to ask Mahlase and SANEF to apologise to me and my husband immediately for their false and defamatory statements,” read the statement.

Sithole claims Mahlase and SANEF are abusing and taking advantage of her because “she was a poor, black woman and because she had little means to fight them”.

“If they don’t apologise, as poor as I am, I will instruct my lawyers Gardee Godrich Attorneys to pursue the matter further. Mahlase and SANEF are abusing and taking advantage of me because I am a poor black woman, and have no means to fight them. They are treating me like I am a piece of dirt,” said Sithole.

She said earlier in the statement she had laid criminal charges against the CEO of Steve Biko Academic Hospital and other doctors, and intends to lay criminal charges against the doctors and hospitals involved in her delivery, including Dr Kazeem Okanlomo.

Sithole reiterated she had given birth and had physically seen her babies on two occasions before they disappeared.

This is a developing story.