Veteran South African Actor Dies
24 January 2022
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A veteran South African actor, Patrick Shai, has died, his family announced through a statement today.

While details surrounding his death are still sketchy, Sunday World reported that he committed suicide.

An unidentified man who answered Shai’s phone refused to speak when asked about his death, only saying the family will be communicating through a media statement.

A short statement followed soon thereafter announcing that Shai passed away on Saturday morning. Stated the statement:

We sincerely ask you to give the family time to process this painful loss. More details will be shared in due course. Thank you.

Shai from Soweto has had a colourful television acting career that spans more than 30 years. Shai was in the spotlight last week after a video of him, challenging rapper Cassper Nyovest to a boxing match went viral.

The video started circulating on social media early last week. In it, Shai is seen sitting inside a vehicle and seemingly inviting the rapper into a boxing match saying he wants to “bliksem” him.

He goes on to say that when he dies he wants his tombstone to be engraved with words “this is the man who beat up Cassper”.

Patrick Molefe Shai was known for films such as Hearts & Minds (1995), Cry, the Beloved Country (1995) and 7de Laan (2000). He is one of the founding members of Free Film Makers – which is an alternative to then-mainstream television in South Africa.

More: The Sowetan Live

Patrick Shai