Presley Chweneyagae
Presley Chweneyagae | |
|---|---|
| Born | Presley Oageng Chweneyagae 19 October 1984[1] Mafikeng, Bophuthatswana (now North West Province) |
| Died | 27 May 2025 (aged 40) Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2004 –2025 |
| Notable work | |
Presley Oageng Chweneyagae (19 October 1984 – 27 May 2025) was a South African actor.[2] He rose to prominence for his starring role in Tsotsi, which won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.[3]
Life and career
Chweneyagae was named after his mother's favourite singer, Elvis Presley. Following Chweneyagae's debut feature film role in Tsotsi, he continued to work on both stage and screen. His latest films include More Than Just a Game, State of Violence, and Africa United. He also performed in a play about Solomon Mahlangu, a former MK cadre who was hanged at the age of 22.
On 27 May 2025, Chweneyagae died after experiencing breathing problems. He was 40.[4][5] The government of South Africa and the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) paid tribute to him via social media after his death was announced, with SAFTA calling him a "legend of South African cinema" and the government saying that he was a "gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts".[6]
National lottery scandal
In 2023, Chweneyagae was implicated in the National Lottery scandal that was investigated by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).[7] It was reported that over R67.5 million was paid to the Southern African Youth Movement (SAYM) which he was said to be the ambassador of.[8][9] The money was meant to uplift poor women in Marikana and surrounding areas in the North West province on a chicken farming project. Other stars that were implicated included kwaito singer Arthur Mafokate and actress Terry Pheto.[10][11]
Selected filmography
- Tsotsi (2005)
- iNumber Number (2013)
- Zama Zama (2013)
- The Number (2017)
- The River (2018)
References
- ^ "biography | TVSA". TVSA.
- ^ Eunice Nkosi. "Presley Chweneyagae bio, family, soapies, movies, awards, interesting facts". Briefly. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Ntombizodwa Mkhoba (27 September 2020). "Presley does it again". News24. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Gaanakgomo, Constance; Maako, Keitumetse (27 May 2025). "Award-winning Tsotsi and The River star Presley Chweneyagae dies aged 40". News24. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Macaulay, Cecilia (27 May 2025). "South Africans pay tribute to acting 'icon' Chweneyagae who died age 40". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Presley Chweneyagae, star of Oscar-winning drama Tsotsi, dies aged 40". The Guardian. Associated Press. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Award-winning 'Tsotsi' actors embroiled in lottery corruption". Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Maako, Keitumetse. "The plot thickens: See the latest list of SA celebs exposed in the National Lottery investigation". News24. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Presley Chweneyagae implicated in R15m lottery money scandal — reports". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Actress Terry Pheto, designer Thula Sindi named in chicken farm lotteries embezzlement report". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Joseph, By Raymond (29 March 2023). "Terry Pheto's house paid for with Lottery money finally sold". GroundUp News. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
External links