The Ehlanzeni region celebrates the arrival of more than 30 New Year’s babies
The first baby was delivered at 00:33 at Tonga Hospital in the Nkomazi area.
The Ehlanzeni region began 2026 on a joyous note, welcoming a total of 34 New Year’s babies delivered between midnight and 12:00 on January 1.
The first arrival of the year occurred at Tonga Hospital at exactly 00:33. A 23-year-old mother gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing 2 980 g, setting a celebratory tone for the district’s medical facilities.
Between 00:00 and 05:00, 28 babies were born across Mpumalanga. This included one set of twins delivered at Shongwe Hospital.
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Of these early-morning deliveries in Ehlanzeni:
21 babies were delivered via natural birth.
Five babies were delivered via Caesarean section.
The gender breakdown for the early arrivals stood at 13 males and 16 females.
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Among the new mothers were two teenagers.
A 14-year-old became the youngest mother of the day, delivering at Themba Hospital.
The other mother, a 16-year-old, gave birth at Rob Ferreira Hospital. Mediclinic Mbombela announced the arrival of three babies at the time of publication.
The number of New Year’s arrivals is expected to rise as the day progresses.
According to Mpumalanga Department of Health spokesperson Dumisane Malamule, several more women are awaiting delivery at various hospitals across the district.
He also extended congratulations to all families and commended the dedicated midwives and medical staff who worked through the night to ensure the safe delivery of the “Class of 2026”.
