One Formerly Conjoined Limpopo Twin Dies From Organ Failure Two Weeks After Separation Surgery
- One of the miracle Limpopo twins who were conjoined and underwent successful separation surgery has passed away
- Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba confirmed that one of the twins had passed due to multiple organ failure
- Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi visited the hospital following the passing of the baby, weighing in on the tragedy
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
LIMPOPO – One of the recently separated Limpopo conjoined twins has sadly passed away.
The twins were born on 28 January 2026 to a 29-year-old mother and were joined at the abdomen. They were successfully separated after an eight-hour-long complex surgical procedure on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
The historic operation, led by Professor Nyaweleni Tshifularo, marked a first for the province.
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One formerly conjoined baby has passed away
On 3 April 2026, Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba confirmed that one of the twins had passed away. The baby passed away in the early hours of the morning due to multiple organ failure.
Dr Ramathuba said the team did everything in their power, but the baby sadly didn’t make it. The babies had been under specialised medical care since birth. Dr Ramathuba also extended condolences to the family of the twins.
The surgery made headlines in South Africa, with the provincial government planning to build a home for the family before the babies were allowed to leave the hospital.
Dr Tshifularo also provided more details, saying that complications arose during the recovery phase rather than during surgery. He stated that the medical teams focused on treating the infection, with only one of the infants responding to the treatment.
Medical teams continued to monitor the surviving twin.
Health Minister addresses the tragic death
Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi visited the family shortly after the tragic news broke and addressed the media at the Mankweng Hospital, where the historic surgery was carried out.
The minister said that the death was a painful reminder that even the most successful medical procedures could not always prevent loss of life.
Motsoaledi also provided more details about the tragedy, saying that the twins were experiencing post-operation complications, which started around five days after the surgery. He added that a severe infection developed as a result, despite the best efforts of the medical team.
“The operation was a success by any standard. The skill used there was still a success, proven by the fact that these babies lived longer than two weeks. Sepsis happens anywhere,” Motsoaledi said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa applauds staff
Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa applauded the staff of Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo for successfully performing surgery on conjoined twins.
The team was led by Dr Nyaweleni Tshifularo, who successfully separated twins who were joined at the abdomen in March 2026.
Ramaphosa and Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba praised the team for their efforts and hailed it as a historical operation.
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Source: Briefly News
