A Pretoria court’s ordered an investigation into how two children were mistakenly switched at birth four years ago and how best to solve the imbroglio.
South Africa’s Centre for Child Law’s been given 90 days to come up with answers.
The two girls were born in Boksburg Hospital east of Johannesburg in 2010.
The mistaken identities were discovered when one of the fathers requested a paternity test after the child’s mother sued him for maintenance.
The parents’ blood tests did not match the child’s.
The woman, who has not been identified, then said she wanted her biological child back.
The other woman’s refused to give the child up.
The Centre for Child Law is tasked with investigating the facts and making a decision on what’s in the best interests of the children.
It was not yet clear how the children were swopped.
Possible solutions involve the children being swopped again or remaining with their current mothers, with or without visitation rights.
None of the respondents, including the provincial health minister, and the chief executive of the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, where the children were born, have opposed the court application.
The mothers met last year and have been attending joint therapy sessions, arranged by the hospital, since December. They have met their biological daughters.