Thabiso Ramotshela Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Presley Chweneyagae at Memorial Service

Actor Thabiso Ramotshela, who has appeared in The River, Blood Legacy, and Youngins, gave a moving tribute at the memorial service of the late Presley Chweneyagae. The service took place at the South African State Theatre on 5 June, just days after Presley passed away on Tuesday, 27 May, at the age of 40.

Presley was widely known for his iconic role as Thuso “Cobra” Mokoena in the popular 1Magic drama series The River. Thabiso played his on-screen son, Morena Mokoena, and over the years, the two built a strong bond both on and off screen.

Cobrizi’s on screen son paying a tribute to the late Presley Chweneyagae.

This was emotional 🥲 pic.twitter.com/XtP4usm1Ga

— m a s h è s h a 💨 (@_mashesha) June 5, 2025

During his emotional speech, Thabiso broke down while speaking about how much Presley meant to him. He shared:

“I miss him so much. I remember the first time I got the call — it was so hard for the person to tell me. They said, ‘Yo bro, like… he’s dead.’ I feel like it’s so unfair. It hurts so much because as much as he’s not my father, he’s my dad. That man raised me, he took care of me. When things got hard on set on Youngins or Blood Legacy, he would call me and make sure that I’m okay. He would be like, ‘Boy, boy, I know I don’t express myself a lot, but I got you, and I’m going to be right here with you 24/7.’”

Thabiso went on to read a touching tribute that revealed just how deep their relationship had become over the years. He continued:

“I’ve worked with papa for four to five years, from the age of 16. To tell the truth, the thought of not seeing him ever again — or appear on my TV screens, or call me, or even bump into him at random places — my heart sinks. Death is so cruel. The sad thing about death is it is so unpredictable. He was full of life. Every time I used to see your name on the scripts, I used to laugh because I knew it would be a good day. As much as a leader has fallen, a legend was born — one that brought an Oscar award to South Africa, one that gave me a reason to continue acting. The reason why I’m so hard on myself is because of that man — because all I wanted was his approval at my work. To hear from other people right after your death that you admired me, you loved me, you watched me, you scrutinised every move I made… Presley, I miss you so much. I love you so much, papa. Until we see each other again.”

Soon after Presley’s passing, Thabiso shared a heartfelt TikTok video that showed behind-the-scenes moments with Presley from their time working together. In the caption, he wrote: “I don’t even know where to start. Goodbye pops. I love you and will see you soon.”

On Instagram, he posted another emotional message that deeply touched fans: “Please come back dad,” followed by a broken heart emoji.