VETERAN actor and former wife abuser Patrick Shai will give a motivational talk at the Booysens Hotel in southern Johannesburg on May 29.

Shai currently plays the role of a mean, bad, philandering and scheming father on SABC1's Zone 14. He will be the keynote speaker at the Life@40'nBeyond social networking club's 20th function.

Now a changed man, Shai appears on television advertisements advocating non-violence against women and children.

Shai has openly admitted to abusing and physically assaulting his wife and terrorising his children for 20 years before he saw the error of his ways.

He says beating his wife was "simply what men did".

"My stepfather did it, my uncle did it. So, clearly this was the way things were done," he said.

Everything changed for Shai 15 years ago while he was playing the role of abusive husband Thabang in Soul City .

Shai, 55, remembers the day he filmed that scene for Soul City as if it were yesterday.

He was shooting a scene in which he had to beat up his "television wife".

He calls this his "road to Damascus moment" - a dramatic moment when he realised that his "bad and evil behaviour was having a negative influence on my family".

Shai said this change of heart brought a "new meaning" in his life and personality.

He added that this change also brought him new respect and love from his loved ones.

It also led him to appear in a television advertisement for the latest campaign by men's group Brothers for Life.

The group's new project is called Brothers Against Violence and aims to raise awareness of the horrors of violence against women and children and drive home the message that bad behaviour can be changed.

The campaign enables Shai to promote the men's group's 16 points of action to stop violence against women and children.

"If you want change, come get motivated and celebrate life, make friends and network in a social context that seeks to empower, exchange skills and entertain in one package.

"At Life@40'nBeyond we believe that we are the masters of our own destiny. We have more power to change our destiny and what we want from life.

"Life is based on growth and finding new challenges to face and overcome problems and have better understanding," says Terry Mokoena, the founder of Life@40'nBeyond.

Black Mok Jazz Quartet, who recently released their album Tlholohelo, will perform at the motivational talk.

The group have in the past shared the stage with, among others, Jonas Gwangwa, Ishmael Lo, Judith Sephuma, Simphiwe Dana, Zim Ngqawana, Oliver Mtukudzi and Sipho Mabuse.

The session is from 2pm till late. A lucky member will win a three-day ship cruise.