By 14:00 on Christmas Day, Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela has welcomed 40 new babies with more births expected. During the same time, Mediclinic Nelspruit welcomed two babies in the early hours of December 25.

Xolile Ndlovu gave birth to her healthy baby girl at 03:03 at Mediclinic, and she named her Ingiphile (which means “He gave me”) because she had been in labour for many hours and had lost hope, but God decided to give her a child.

“I was expecting my child on December 29, but I am excited that I have managed to give birth today. I am looking forward to raising her,” she says.

The MEC for health in Mpumalanga, Sasekani Manzini, visited Tonga Hospital in Nkomazi Local Municipality to conduct a courtesy visit to Christmas-born babies in the maternity ward. So far, five babies have been born, three boys and two girls.

“We are happy that our facility managed to deliver healthy babies, and we are still expecting more babies until midnight,” she says

At Matikwane Hospital they welcomed a set of twins. We are expecting the number to increase before midnight,” Manzini says.

Some of the mothers received gifts from the department.

Mediclinic Nelspruit’s ward unit manager on call, Precious Ncongwane, provided gifts to the two families who gave birth at their facility and congratulated them on having their babies on Christmas Day.

“It is a blessing to witness babies being born on such a special day, and we are grateful to be involved with the families’ big day,” she says.