Mystery as dad of 'ten babies' claims they 'do not exist' - and mum is still missing

The father of '10 babies' born in South Africa which hit headlines around the world now reportedly says he does not believe his girlfriend ever gave birth to 10 babies.

Gosiame Thamara Sithole was believed to have given birth to the seven boys and three girls, who were conceived naturally, through C-section and at 29 weeks in Pretoria on June 7.

The news and pictures of Gosiame, 37, spread last week with claims she had broken a world record having given birth to 10 babies.

But now, in a dramatic twist, her partner Tebogo Tsotetsi has reportedly said he has 'not seen proof the decuplets exist'.

It was reported last week that Gosiame Sithole had given birth to 10 babies (Newsflash)

A statement from his family says they have therefore concluded "there are no decuplets born between Tebogo Tsotetsi and Gosiame Sithole until proven otherwise".

Worries are also mounting over the whereabouts of Gosiame with a missing persons case opened, according to reports.

The statement from the Tsotetsi family, reported by News 24, read: "He (Tsotetsi) made several attempts to visit his girlfriend and the babies but she has failed to disclose her whereabouts and the condition of their babies.

"The current uncertainties and public discourse about the decuplets is of major concern to the family, especially in the absence of any proof of the decuplets existence other than telephonic and WhatsApp messages from the mother.

"The family has resolved and concluded that there are no decuplets born between Tebogo Tsotetsi and Gosiame Sithole, until proven otherwise and wishes to apologise for any inconvenience and embarrassment."

Government officials had previously said they could find no evidence of a woman giving birth to 10 children.

Tebogo Tsotetsi had informed local outlets including Pretoria News about the decuplets based on information he had received from his girlfriend, according to reports.

Spokesperson for the family Russell Baloyi told Times Live: "We realised that as messy as the situation was for the country, given the conflicting statements that have been coming out, it’s about time we put this thing to rest and work on the facts.

"The whereabouts of the mother are still unknown.

"In terms of the pregnancy, the reality of it was that the mother was pregnant."

The statement continued that the family will work with the government to find the mum to get her back home safely.