Independent Media says it has appointed veteran anti-apartheid lawyer, Michael Donen SC, to chair its external inquiry into the Tembisa decuplets story, according to a report on the IoL site.

The story run in the group’s newspapers of the birth of the 10 babies to Gosiame Sithole has been labelled by many to be fake news.

However, Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi, who broke the story, maintains Sithole was pregnant with multiple babies, and believes his story still holds.

Independent Media has since launched several measures to uncover the facts, including an independently led inquiry, which will now be chaired by Donen.

'Donen is well-placed to lead this inquiry, having had experience leading other inquiries in the past, particularly his appointment by President Thabo Mbeki to head the Donen Commission of Inquiry into the Oil for Food Programme in Iraq. His impeccable reputation spanning a legal career of more than three decades, specialising in human rights, epitomises integrity, fairness, impartiality, and intellectual rigour,' Independent Media said in a statement.

Donen commented that he is looking forward to investigating the situation and attempting to clear up the confusion.

The IoL report says the inquiry is part of a three-pronged action plan put in place by Independent Media that includes an investigation by its in-house press council and press ombudsman, as well as a separate investigation led by the group's investigations editor, Sizwe Dlamini.

Independent Media has committed to releasing all findings and recommendations on completion of all the inquiries and investigations.

Sithole is being kept at Weskoppies Hospital as an involuntary patient in terms of the Mental Health Act.

Full report on the IoL site