https://x.com/GovernmentZA/status/1927326775329087679
Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor who starred in the Oscar-winning film “Tsotsi,” has died at the age of 40. His talent agency MLA confirmed his death, saying South Africa had lost one of its “most gifted and beloved actors.”
Chweneyagae’s career spanned three decades and included work in theatre, television, and film.
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He gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film “Tsotsi,” which won South Africa’s first-ever Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
The South African government paid tribute to Chweneyagae, praising his outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.
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“The nation mourns the loss of a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts,” the government said in a post on X. Chweneyagae was also a gifted writer and director.
Presley Chweneyagae’s lasting legacy
He co-authored the internationally acclaimed stage play “Relativity” with Paul Grootboom.
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The South African Film and Television Awards organization, known as Safta, called Chweneyagae a “true legend of South African cinema.” They described him as a “powerhouse performer whose talent left an indelible mark on our screens and in our hearts.”
Fikile Mbalula, the secretary general of the ANC, the party that has dominated South African politics for decades, offered his condolences.
He described Chweneyagae as a “giant of South African film and theatre.”
Chweneyagae’s family said he had died from natural causes after experiencing breathing problems. Family spokesperson Mzwakhe Sigudla said that paramedics had attended to him, but he “couldn’t make it.”
South African film critic Stephen Aspeling said “Tsotsi” was a “landmark film” which came at a “critical juncture for South Africa’s film industry but also for South Africa on the international platform.” He noted that the film tackled post-apartheid social inequalities, poverty, and crime in townships. Chweneyagae also starred in the Nelson Mandela biopic “Long Walk to Freedom” in 2013, as well as acting in various theatre productions.
The Ministry of Sports, Art and Culture released a statement highlighting his role in the popular South African series “River” and “Cobrizzi.”
“The Department of Sports, Art and Culture mourns the loss of a true trailblazer – a storyteller who held the soul of a nation in his craft,” Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said in the statement.
