A 29-year-old mum of four from Soshanguve, Tshwane said she got the wrong baby in June last year at Dr George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa after spending almost one week in the hospital.
But the very sad situation turned into a tragedy when the baby that went to the second woman from Winterveld, Tshwane, died.
The woman said she heard about the sad news on 25 January after the hospital officials told her she had the wrong child.
“I was shattered. I thought the baby which I was raising is mine. I cried because I also heard that my biological baby died in December,” she said.
“I even named her. I love this baby. She brought peace and comfort into my life.
“I want to go and see where my daughter was buried. I blame the hospital for the mix-up which has left me in pain,” she said.
She said she will love to have her daughter exhumed from the Slovo Cemetery in Winterveld and reburied at the family’s graveside in Soshanguve.
“I’m not angry with the other woman because it’s not her fault,” she said.
“I will give the baby to them with my blessings, although it will be painful. I will continue visiting the baby, even though mine is no more.”
She does not know when she is expected to return the baby to the biological mother. She said she had lost a two-week-old daughter in 2019. “I am only left with her photos,” she said.
Her 81-year-old gogo said: “This has caused pain to the family. Nothing like this has happened to the family before.”
The family said they wanted compensation from the hospital.
The second woman (28) who is suing the hospital, said: “All along I thought I was raising my child, even though the baby didn’t have similar features with our family members. I’m still waiting to get our baby back. I don’t blame the other woman. I blame the hospital.”
Head of communication at the Gauteng Department of Health, Motalatale Modiba, said they knew about the matter.
“But this matter has now been taken to court and we can’t comment on anything,” said Modiba.
Reverend Joseph Chabangu of the South African Council of Churches, Tshwane region, said they’ve donated food parcels to the family that will be returning the child. “We donated to her because they are having some family challenges to deal with.”