A South African woman pregnant with 10 babies who was accused of lying by the authorities, which locked her up in a mental institution, did in fact give birth, with her newborns subsequently trafficked out of the country, according to an independent report.

The latest twist and turn in the now notorious saga was revealed by Independent Media, which broke the original news of the birth, after it commissioned an independent report led by advocate Michael Donen, a copy of which has been obtained by Newsflash.

The story of the birth of the decuplets followed hot off the heels of the report of the 25-year-old Malian woman who gave birth to nine babies in Morocco in May.

Gosiame Sithole of the township of Thembisa in the South African province of Gauteng originally hit local headlines after she was found to be pregnant with six babies, with the number later revised up to eight following another scan, and then to an astonishing 10 during the delivery when doctors found another two babies in her fallopian tubes.

Independent Media was the first to break the news of the birth, and the story quickly went around the world before the mother was accused of lying just a few days later.

The Gauteng Provincial Government declared that Ms Sithole had invented the whole story and had not even been pregnant, suggesting she might have been suffering from mental problems.

It was also suggested at the time that she had been encouraged in her fantasy by family members who wanted to attract money from good samaritans, with a reported donation of ZAR 1 million (GBP 47,431) by a philanthropist named Dr Iqbal Surve allegedly reaching her.

The investigation left the staff at Independent Media facing accusations of sloppy journalism and fake news, resulting in them supporting an independent report into the matter.

After gathering statements from medical experts and other information, the report has now concluded that Ms Sithole was indeed pregnant and delivered her babies via caesarean section.

The report included a statement from an independent gynaecologist, Dr Mpho Pooe, who attested to “a fresh C-section scar”.

At a recent press conference, the gynaecologist, who holds an MBCHB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree) and has been in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology for 15 years, confirmed that Ms Sithole had recently been pregnant and the babies had been removed based on her examination.

After the birth claim was debunked by officials, Ms Sithole, whose age has not been confirmed but who was reported in local media to have been 37 at the time, was admitted to the Tembisa Hospital under the Mental Healthcare Act on 21st June.

Independent Media has now said that she was “illegally detained at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, a mental institution” on the shaky and insufficiently-evidenced grounds that she was suffering from a mental illness, with the newspaper group suggesting doctors “colluded to lie about her pregnancy and Ms Sithole’s state of mind”.

The newspaper group alleges that the woman’s pregnancy was debunked as part of an elaborate cover-up and has accused the obstetricians involved in the delivery of the newborns of involvement in the trafficking of babies – including Ms Sithole’s.

Independent Media concluded from its investigations that Ms Sithole was indeed pregnant with decuplets and that two of the babies died during the delivery.

The newspaper group believes more of the babies may have died due to gross negligence on the part of the numerous hospitals to which both the mother and her newborns were shunted back and forth.

On the alleged implausibility of the decuplets claim, Independent Media reported that “Ms Sithole is either a natural hyper-ovulator or has been induced to provoke super ovulation”.

The newspaper group noted that she had previously given birth to twins and triplets, which was partially confirmed by the authorities, and revealed that the triplets are also reportedly missing.

The report claimed that there were insufficient incubators at the Tembisa Hospital and the Steve Biko Academic Hospital and that the doctors and nurses in these two hospitals and also the Lenmed Zamokuhle Private Hospital were “complicit in the delivery and subsequent cover-up of the birth of these babies”.

It also said that only four doctors were in attendance at the delivery of the babies “when there should have been at least 25 medical personnel”.

The report also named a fourth facility as the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and said that after the babies were taken there from the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, both the mother and the babies’ father were denied further access to the newborns.

Independent Media said that the last time Ms Sithole saw her babies was on 10th June, three days after she gave birth. The newspaper group believes her surviving babies may have been trafficked out of the country, naming the hospitals involved as being “at the epicentre of baby trafficking and syndication”.

Independent Media wrote: “At this stage, there is sufficient evidence to confirm that the doctors are primarily West African working with a few South Africa doctors, nurses and social workers and politicians, magistrates, and police colonels.

“The syndicate involves hundreds of vulnerable black women who are in some cases given fertility drugs by these obstetricians.

“These babies are harvested for use in ‘muti’, cosmetics, stem cells and in some cases, for the adoption of the babies in countries as far as the USA and into Europe.”

The report concluded that “certain members of the South African Government are fully aware that the syndicate has been operating from its hospitals”.

Independent Media added: “All indication is that there is a high level cover-up by the National Department of Health, Gauteng Department of Health and the CEOs of the above hospitals acting in collusion to not only hide the truth of what happened to Ms Sithole but also what happened to her babies.

“Gauteng Social development MEC and Gauteng MEC for police, according to Independent Media sources, are also fully aware of what happened, as too, the national Department of Health and, GCIS in the presidency.”

The newspaper group has said it “will provide law enforcement with all the necessary documentation to support the above claims” to help to bring those responsible to justice.

The whereabouts of Ms Sithole’s remaining babies is unknown.