RIP Presley Chweneyagae: ‘Cobrizi’ Fans Stunned as Life Imitates Art Following Actor’s Sudden Death

• Award-winning South African actor Presley Chweneyagae died on Tuesday 27 May at the age of 40
• Days before his death, Cobrizi aired an episode where Presley Chweneyagae's character said he'd soon join his parents in heaven
• A fan shared a clip of the episode, sparking heartfelt tributes, with many remarking how the scene mirrored reality

South Africans are reeling from the sudden death of beloved actor Presley Chweneyagae, who passed away on Tuesday, 27 May, at the age of 40. Interestingly, Chweneyagae previously revealed that he planned to retire from acting at 40.

Art imitates reality as Presley Chweneyagae dies

The actor starred in the popular 1Magic telenovela The River as Thuso “Cobra” Mokoena and its aptly titled spin-off series Cobrizi. Avid viewers of the spin-off series remarked how life had imitated fiction, as Cobra mentioned that he'd be reuniting with his dead parents in a recent episode.

Entertainment commentator Jabulani MacDonald paid tribute to Presley Chweneyagae on X. He shared a picture of the actor and Don Mlangeni Nawa, who played Chweneyagae’s onscreen father, Thato Mokoena, on The River. MacDonald highlighted how Presley had passed away shortly after Nawa, who died on 16 April. The post was captioned:

“Don Mlangeni Nawa and Presley Chweneyagae passed away within a short space of time. 💔😔 They also portrayed father and son on The River. This is a huge loss for the film and television industry 💔🙏🏽 Rest in Peace to the legends. #RIPPresleyCheweneyagae.”

Fans stunned as Cobrizi episode becomes reality

In the comments, fans highlighted that Presley Chweneyagae’s death was a case of reality imitating fiction. In a Cobrizi episode that aired on Sunday, 25 May, Presley’s character, Cobra, had mentioned that he’d be joining his father and mother very soon.

A clip of the episode shared by social media user @TeeamoMokhethi1 shows a solemn Cobra standing by his parents’ grave and declaring that he would be with them soon before kissing their tombstone.

Watch the clip below:

Here are some of the reactions:

@bautecarlosbau1 highlighted:

“On Sunday's episode of "Cobrizi", he said that he wanted to join his parents in heaven😭😭😭”

@alista_mapa shared:

“Shame, and in that episode, he sought to be reunited with Thato, art imitates life, stranger than fiction.”

@reabetsoee_m replied:

“Thato Mokoena and Thuso Mokoena 🥹💔”

@Daystar1447509 said:

“Not so long ago, he was praying from the grave for his parents to receive him, then this happens. Recent episodes🙆”

Presley Chweneyagae's scandals

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported on Presley Chweneyagae's several scandals.

In April 2023, Chweneyagae topped social media trends when he appeared on an episode of the popular reality TV show Papgeld for allegedly failing to pay R58,000 in child maintenance.

In a development that mirrored the title of his breakout movie, Tsotsi, the star was also implicated in an SIU investigation for allegedly laundering R15 million through his foundation.

At the time, social media users called for Chweneyagae's arrest and criticised the lack of convictions in corruption cases.

Source: Briefly News