Mona Monyane remembers her late daughter: "You would've turned 5 today"

South African actress Mona Monyane has paid tribute to her late daughter, Amani-Amaza Wamazulu Skenjana, on what would have been her fifth birthday. 

Amani-Amaza passed away shortly after her birth in November 2017. Mona, who is also mom to Ase-Ahadi, shared a touching tribute to her late daughter on Instagram.

"My sweet, sweet angel. I will always wonder. I will always long for you," she wrote. "I will never ever forget you."

Amani-Amaza died in her mother's arms seven days after she was born. Mona says her daughter saved her life. 

"Thank you for being the light. That illuminated my darkness. You would be so proud of your mama. I remember everything you taught me, I use my pain to heal, I've embraced who I AM," the 32-year-old added. 

ALSO READ: Language board slams Charlize Theron over Afrikaans remarks

 Two years after the tragedy, Mona lost her daughter's ashes in a house fire. The incident was a turning point for the actress. 

"Losing Amani's ashes in this fire from hell has got to be the greatest lesson of letting go I could ever have had to experience," she wrote on Instagram in 2019. Several months after the blaze, Mona and her partner, Khulu Skenjana, announced they were separating. 

Mona later founded Power Of Wellness (POW), a platform to help people prioritise "wellness from a mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and financial perspective". 

Her road to healing has been tough, but Mona hopes to inspire people through her life and work. She recently bagged a role in the Netflix film, 'Wild is the Wind'.

Mona told TshisaLive that her role made her reflect on her healing journey and the pain she has experienced over the past few years. 

"What was very challenging about this role is that scenes came up that touched home. I believe a lot of women are going to be able to relate. It was quite an experience to dial back to certain emotions... I feel this character further healed me because her making the choices she did  reaffirmed that sometimes it's best to put yourself first and do what's right for you," she told the publication. 

ALSO READ: Nick Cannon reveals he pays over R50-million a year in child support

Main image credit: Instagram/@mona.monyane