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Akasia community hall filled as mourners pay final respects to late Presley Chweneyagae

Akasia community hall filled as mourners pay final respects to late Presley Chweneyagae

Eyewitness News6 hours ago

JOHANNESBURG - The Akasia community hall is filled to capacity, as mourners have come to pay their final respects to late award-winning actor Presley Chweneyagae.
The thespian died of respiratory issues last week.
The creative industry has come together to bid farewell to one of its brightest stars.
Chweneyagae rose to international fame with his breakout role in the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi in 2005 and audiences later came to know him as Cobra in the hit TV series, The River .
His castmates of the popular telenovela have remembered Chweneyagae as an astounding actor who embodied his characters.
The River producer Phathu Makwarela said, 'Presley was layered, he was a man of deep feeling and enormous contradictions. There was light in him, dazzling, uncontainable light and yet through it all, he still always showed up, he still gave us his art, his generosity, his humour, his friendship.'
He added that Chweneyagae was a person who carried a lot of responsibility but always chose to put others first.
'It takes a rare kind of strength to carry both brilliance and burden and still choose to give joy to others, and Presley did that for us and for that we are truly grateful.'

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Rasta faces fresh backlash over controversial new portrait of Presley Chweneyagae
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Rasta faces fresh backlash over controversial new portrait of Presley Chweneyagae

Controversial Zimbabwean-born portrait artist Lebani Sirenje, famously known as Rasta, is back in the spotlight, and so is the criticism. This time, the target of his brush is the late actor Presley Chweneyagae, best known for his lead role in Tsotsi. Rasta unveiled the painting of Chweneyagae this week, and while some praised his effort, many social media users found the piece unrecognisable. ' Whether you love or question his work, one thing's for sure- Rasta shows up to honour our legends,' posted Tinashe Eugene Mushanguri on Facebook. 'Who is this supposed to be?' asked one user on Facebook, referring to the painting. He joked, 'Rasta has to be stopped. Seriously, we need a petition.' This isn't Rasta's first run-in with public scrutiny. Over the years, Rasta painted countless public figures, often at funerals or memorials, and each time, Mzansi has something to say. From Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to Oliver Mtukudzi, his art tends to trend, sometimes for the wrong reasons. But Rasta has always stood by his work. As the Presley portrait continues to trend, one thing is clear: Rasta's work, however it's received, has become part of South Africa's cultural fabric. Chweneyagae, affectionately known to many as 'Cobrizi' or 'Mokwepa,' passed away last week at his home in the city. He was 40. Chweneyagae rose to fame for his powerful performance in Tsotsi , the gritty South African drama that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. You've probably seen a Rasta painting. But before all that, he was just a kid in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, born in 1977, drawing whatever caught his eye. He started sketching around age seven and never really looked back. No art degree, no formal training, just years of practice. More than ten years ago, he crossed the border into South Africa, like a lot of Zimbabweans trying to find something more. That's when he went pro. These days, he's known for painting portraits of famous people, mostly after they die, and like it or not, his work always gets a reaction. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Akasia community hall filled as mourners pay final respects to late Presley Chweneyagae
Akasia community hall filled as mourners pay final respects to late Presley Chweneyagae

Eyewitness News

time6 hours ago

  • Eyewitness News

Akasia community hall filled as mourners pay final respects to late Presley Chweneyagae

JOHANNESBURG - The Akasia community hall is filled to capacity, as mourners have come to pay their final respects to late award-winning actor Presley Chweneyagae. The thespian died of respiratory issues last week. The creative industry has come together to bid farewell to one of its brightest stars. Chweneyagae rose to international fame with his breakout role in the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi in 2005 and audiences later came to know him as Cobra in the hit TV series, The River . His castmates of the popular telenovela have remembered Chweneyagae as an astounding actor who embodied his characters. The River producer Phathu Makwarela said, 'Presley was layered, he was a man of deep feeling and enormous contradictions. There was light in him, dazzling, uncontainable light and yet through it all, he still always showed up, he still gave us his art, his generosity, his humour, his friendship.' He added that Chweneyagae was a person who carried a lot of responsibility but always chose to put others first. 'It takes a rare kind of strength to carry both brilliance and burden and still choose to give joy to others, and Presley did that for us and for that we are truly grateful.'

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