LUTSHINDWI - A rural woman of Lutshindwi Village in Venda shocked her unemployed husband, when she recently gave birth to triplets.

Mpfariseni Nelutshindwi (43) is a frustrated man, since his wife, Emily (37) gave birth to two boys and a girl on 24 June. He is now the father of eight children.

Nelutshindwi, a qualified driver who has not been employed since 1997, was in Johannesburg when a friend told him on 28 June, that his wife had been blessed with three children at the Donald Frazer hospital. Although this was something to celebrate about, Nelutshindwi said he was shocked about the news. "I could not believe what I was told. I was not expecting such a thing. It was something unusual to me. I only believed what I was told when I reached home on Saturday after a friend had given me the bus fare. That's where I accepted that it as the will of God," he said.

Nelutshindwi, who does not have both parents, said he did not know what to do as he was already struggling to support his family.

Mirror visited the family on Tuesday morning where we found the poor mother struggling to breastfeed her healthy children. Wearing a torn dress and a worn-out towel, Emily said she was suffering from sleepless nights as the babies were always crying from hunger. The one litre milk tin that Nelutshidwi had bought with the money he was given by local Chief Tshikotshi Nefolovhodwe, was lying empty next to the fire where the family was sitting to keep themselves and their babies warm.

Nelutshindwi, whose home is that of one of the fifteen families that have just occupied a reclaimed piece of land, next to Muswodi and Folovhodwe, said he was appealing to the government and other community members to help him raise his children as he is still not employed.

Ward councillor Philemon Tshinavhe said they were going to help the family before the end of next week, after a council meeting. "As a municipality, we are touched about the situation facing the family. The children are very healthy. But as the father is not employed, these children need help. The other children, who are aged between 17 and 7, are still at school. With these new babies, the situation will be bad unless we try to help," said Tshinavhe who also raised a concern about lack of running water in the area.

Anyone who is willing to help can phone Cllr Philemon Tshinavhe at 082 783 8324, as the family does not have a direct contact number.