Limpopo – Limpopo has achieved a medical milestone after conjoined twin boys, born in January at Mankweng Hospital near Polokwane, were successfully separated in an eight-hour surgery.
The twins, joined at the abdomen and chest, were operated on by a multidisciplinary team led by paediatric surgeon Professor Nyaweleni Tshifularo.
The team included doctors, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, social workers, and anaesthetists.
The babies, initially in critical condition, are now fully separated and stable.
Their mother described the moment as “a miracle,” highlighting the emotional impact on the family, The Citizen reported.
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba and Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego praised the team.
“This opertaion represents a historic moment for Limpopo MEC. For the first time in South Afria, a rural hospital has accomplished such a high-scale operation,” Ramathuba said.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa personally congratulated Tshifularo and his team, calling the operation “unbelievable and complicated” and expressing national pride in their achievement.
President @CyrilRamaphosa congratulates Dr Nyaweleni Tshifularo and his team on a successful separation of the conjoined twins born at Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo on January 28, 2026.
President Ramaphosa extended his heartfelt gratitude to the incredible team led by Prof… pic.twitter.com/cgPUbSjjOS
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) March 17, 2026
“We thank you for having succeeded in doing this unbelievable and complicated, difficult operation. One thing is, I’ll never be a doctor, but I’m a doctor by marriage. I can just imagine how difficult the operation was, so I congratulate all of you and the nation is filled with pride.”
Conjoined twins are rare, occurring in roughly 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 births.
Modern medicine allows for early diagnosis and, in some cases, successful separation, though such surgeries involve complex physical and psychological challenges.
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Picture: Facebook/LIMPOPO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (BOPHELONG)
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
