Tsotsi (Zulu for thug or thief) gives a human face to the depraved. The lead character, Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), is a gangster in the slums of Soweto in downtown Johannesburg, where he grew up after escaping the clutches of an abusive father. He is involved in petty crime with his neigborhood cronies: the cold-hearted Butcher, the morally flexible Aap and the more speculative Boston.

After a mugging with an unexpected end, the angered Tsotsi steals a car only to discover a baby in the back seat. Confused, he abandons the car and takes off with the baby. For the next few days, he struggles to care for the child while keeping its presence secret from his friends and everybody else.

Stalking the unsuspecting Miriam (Terry Pheto) after fetching water from the community water tap, Tsotsi follows her home and forces her to feed the baby at gunpoint. Miriam, a young widow only a few years older than Tsotsi, is a struggling widow who makes her living as a seamstress. Before long, the two develop an uneasy relationship with each other as Tsotsi frequents her shack with his secret bundle. At Miriam’s suggestion, he returns the baby to its parents.

The movie is a tour de force of acting talent despite its miserably disappointing dialogue. Presley Chweneyagae puts up an impressive debut, with a Djimon-Hounsou-ish prowess for non-verbal communication.