Khotso Sethunsa

Khotso Sethuntsa (1898–1972) was a South African herbalist who lived in the Eastern Cape town of Lusikisiki. By the mid-twentieth century, he was perceived to be a powerful man whose wealth was amassed through his relationship with Water Spirits, living with his own personal serpentine Mermaid in Xhosa as uMam’Mlambo and a River Serpent/Dragon. Little material evidence attests to his supernatural powers, with only oral accounts available to describe his talents. What was widely known amongst native South Africans at the time was that he was a millionaire with 23 wives and had an expansive clientele that included J. G. Strijdom and Hendrik Verwoerd. Little is known about Sethuntsa's upbringing, but he claimed that his parents worked on Paul Kruger's farm, with his father working as Kruger's coachman. It was widely known that Sethuntsa held a deep reverence for Paul Kruger, the South African Republic's first president. To this day, statues of Paul Kruger can be found at Sethuntsa's compound in Mount Nelson, Lusikisiki. He claimed to have discovered Paul Kruger's lost treasure chest rumoured to be worth millions, a substantial contributor to his wealthy lifestyle.

Rise to fame While he was still working as a young farm worker, Sethuntsa got into a dispute with the farm owner. As a result, the farm owner punished him. A tornado struck the farm, resulting in the destruction of the farm owner's house. Khotso claimed responsibility for this, a story that also appeared in ‘The Kokstad Advertiser’ newspaper. As a result of this event, his fame and legend as a powerful medicine man began to grow. Sethuntsa was also famous for purchasing luxury Cadillacs with a suitcase full of cash every year at the Kokstad Agricultural Show.

International acclaim By the mid-1960s Sethuntsa was reported to have amassed a lot of wealth, with nine houses and 16 farms under his name. Word of his gifts reached as far as the United States, with African-Americans writing to him in search of charms and medicines that may assist in alleviating their health problems.

Death Sethuntsa died in Durban at the age of 74 due to heart failure.