Thando Thabethe believes that losing her father at age 13 has made her a stronger person. The Generations: The Legacy actress and 5FM DJ spoke candidly about her father's suicide on Zaziwa.

Speaking to Pearl Modiadie, she said: "I lost my father at 13, a very young age. I think as you grow older you realise how much you actually missed out on when you lose your father at 13... I'm yet to get married, so one day hopefully if it happens, I would have liked if he would have been there..."

Thando also spoke about the day that her father passed away. She first explained that she grew up in a household where her mother was abused by her dad.

"Honestly, it was episodes that happened constantly. Maybe once a month if we're lucky. My dad would always pick me up from school, so that day he was late picking me up from school. Eventually he fetched me, I get home and I know immediately what's happening. Eventually he stops, or subsides, and he says to me, the last thing he said to me was 'go to bed, everything is gonna be fine'. So I went to bed and I believed my dad, because I loved my father." 

She was then woken up by her brother who told her that their father had died. "He had shot himself." She said through the years that she has tried to understand why he did it.

"... As sick as this may sound, if that didn't happen I wouldn't be who I am today... It strengthened me. My father was a very strong guy, he was a very ambitious man and I know he would want nothing less of me. So it propels me and makes me work even harder. If you go through that you can pretty much go through a lot."  

Thando also spoke about another important man in her life - her boyfriend. "He's a nice guy." She said they met on a boat cruise, they hit it off, and the rest is history!

The lovebirds

 Image credit: Instagram