Presley Chweneyagae, star of Oscar-winning feature ‘Tsotsi’, dead at 40
Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor who starred in the Oscar-winning feature Tsotsi, has passed away at the age of 40. No details or cause of death were provided.
Chweneyagae began acting at age ten. He soon secured the part of David, also known as the eponymous Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s searing 2005 crime drama Tsotsi. He plays a small-time thief who steals cars only to discover a baby in a stolen vehicle, inspiring a change of heart.
The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best foreign language film, winning the latter. It also became the first South African film to win an Oscar. In turn, Chweneyagae became one of the best-known South African actors.
The official South African government tweeted about his untimely passing, writing: “The nation mourns the loss of a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts. Your legacy will live on through the powerful stories you told.”
The secretary-general of the African National Congress said of the actor: “A true giant of South African film and theatre, his legacy in Tsotsi, The River, and beyond will live on. Condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his brilliance.”
He also found great success on domestic television, particularly in the popular telenovela The River. His character was so widely beloved that he received his own spin-off series, Cobrizi, named after his character, Thuso ‘Cobra’ Mokoena. He won a South African Film and Television Award in 2019 for The River, which ran from 2018 to 2024.
His talents did not end there. He starred in several Shakespeare theatre productions and wrote and directed his own plays. He co-wrote the acclaimed stage play Relativity with Paul Grootboom and directed the award-winning production CELL NO 4.
“It is with profound sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of one of South Africa’s most gifted and beloved actors,” Chweneyagae’s long-time agency MLA announced in a statement on May 27th.
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