My Deep, Dark Place

Kalushi star Thabo Rametsi is hot property right now, but his battle with depression almost cost him his life.

- Hopewell Mpapu

HE’S the star of a movie that’s getting plenty of buzz and critics have been united in their praise for his moving portrayal of a struggle hero who was doomed by the system that persecuted South Africans for decades.

To outsiders, Thabo Rametsi’s life must seem good – and when you hear he’s appeared in movies alongside Hollywood greats including Laurence Fishburne and Meryl Streep, his rise up the ladder of fame seems all the more exciting.

Yet behind the smile and charm of this 28-year-old actor lie years of personal struggle and a history of depression that not only almost put an end to his career but drove him to the brink of death.

Thabo, who plays Umkhonto we Sizwe operative Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu in the new film that charts his life, says he’s been depressed for as long as he can remember. “It started in primary school, but I hid it very well,” he says. “When I turned 25 I realised that I’d never felt good about myself.”

Thabo is taking time out of his hectic movie-promotion schedule to talk about the darkness he has finally managed to escape.

Last year, at the first International Brics Film Festival in India, he won a Best Actor award for his role in Kalushi. And soon, he’ll be flying out to attend premieres of the film around the world.

“We will be attending the Seattle International Film Festival and going to Canada,” he says excitedly. “We’re also going to the Italian Film Festival.”