11-year-old gives Sangomas a run for their money

11-year-old Thobelani Ntaka from Verulam, north of Durban has been keeping other traditional healers on their toes because of the good things his clients say about him.

He is apparently a powerful spiritual healer who gets his power from his silver necklace.

But life hasn't been kind to Thobelani, whose mum died when he was 18 months old.

His partially blind father, Vusumuzi (45), told Daily Sun that Thobelani has been taking care of him since he was four years old.

"In 2007, I became completely blind and I had to depend on him to take me to the hospital," Vusumuzi said.

In 2010, Thobelani disappeared for three days.

"Luckily, he was found near the Durban beachfront," Vusumuzi said.

"I was shocked when he told me he had been at the sea getting healing powers. I thought he was too young to be a healer until he touched my eyes and I got a bit of my eyesight back in one eye."

Thobelani said he gets over 100 calls a day from people asking for his services.

"I can't keep up with everyone. Many healers feel threatened by me. Some have even asked me to work under them but I refuse."

However, he said he makes sure that nothing interferes with his schoolwork because he wants to be a pilot one day.

A client, who didn't want to be named, said she was referred to Thobelani by a friend as she needed muthi to get pregnant.