Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba has confirmed that the triplets born to a 33-year-old mother from Dzumeri Village, near Giyani, arrived prematurely.
The babies—two girls and a boy—were delivered via caesarean section on April 21 after just 34 weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy typically lasts between 37 and 42 weeks, meaning the infants were born about six weeks early.
Ramathuba shared the update during an oversight visit to Letaba Hospital in Nkowankowa, Tzaneen, where she was accompanied by Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego. She explained that the mother’s existing medical conditions made the pregnancy high-risk.
Provincial health authorities have since confirmed a tragic development: two of the babies have passed away. The surviving infant, along with the mother, has been transferred to Mankweng Tertiary Hospital to receive specialized medical care.
The situation highlights the challenges associated with premature births and high-risk pregnancies, particularly in multiple-birth cases.