Acclaimed actress Connie Chiume dead at 72.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African actress Connie Chiume died today in hospital. She was 72.

In a statement, her family says "The Chiume family regrets to inform you of the passing of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning actress Connie Chiume."

"Connie Chiume (72) passed on at the Garden City Hospital today, 6 August 2024. The family asks for privacy during this difficult period. The family will communicate further details."

Connie Chiume's cause of death on Tuesday isn't immediately known.

Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's minister of sports, arts and culture, on Tuesday in a statement said "Her passing at age 72 marks a profound loss for the South African nation and the world of arts and culture".

"Connie Chiume's matchless talents and dedication to her craft have left an indelible mark on the hearts of many. Her performances brought joy, inspiration, and a sense of pride to countless South Africans."

"She was more than an actress - she was a beacon of strength, resilience and grace. Mam' Connie's contribution to the arts not only entertained. She inspired, educated and uplifted communities throughout our country."

"As we mourn her passing, we also celebrate her life and legacy. May her memory continue to inspire future generations of artists. My thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time. May they find comfort in the outpouring of love and support from all those who cherished her."

Connie Chiume who was born Temweka Gabisile Chiume on 5 June 1952 in Welkom where she also grew up was known for her roles in films like 2018's Black Panther, Black is King and Blessers. 

After spending time overseas after completing matric, she returned to South Africa and was cast as Thembi in the 1989 series Inlom' Edla Yodwa and also had a role in the 1990 film Warriors from Hell.

In television, she appeared in various SABC1 series from Soul City for which she won the Avanti award in 2000 for Best Actress in a drama series, to the second and third seasons of Yizo Yizo, three seasons of Zone 14 as Stella Moloi, as well as in Generations.

It was however her role in e.tv's Rhythm City where she portrayed Mamokete "Kete" Khuse for almost a decade from 2007 until 2016 that truly solidified Connie Chuime's persona as a beloved South African television mother. 

Connie Chiume's other TV roles ranged from appearing in four seasons of Gomora on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), to Netflix South Africa's Queen Sono, SABC1's Mazinyo Dot Q  as Ma Mavuso-September, to SABC2's drama series 90 Plein Street and Thula's Vine.

Connie Chiume also had TV roles in Easy Money, Grassroots, in two seasons of SABC2's Home Affairs, three seasons of Mzansi Magic's Housekeepers drama series, two seasons of It's Complicated, the second season of Ring of Lies, SABC1's Sgudi Snaysi, Soon Comes Night and across three seasons of Khululeka.

She was also in SABC2's Stokvel sitcom, made a guest appearance on SABC2's Vetkoekpaleis and was a celebrity contestant on the first season of e.tv's game show I Love South Africa.

Connie Chiume's extensive film career include movie credits on 1994's The Air Up There, Chikin Biznis ...The Whole Story!, 2000's I Dreamed of Africa, In My Country, Fanie Fourie's Lobola, the 2015 short film Lerato, 2019's Losing Lerato, the 2020 short film What Did You Dream?, Seriously Single and 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

She also starred and directed in the 1998 made-for-TV movie Tierarztin Christine III: Abenteuer in SudAfrika.

In 2000, Connie Chiume won the award for Best Actress in a drama series at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) - one of three Golden Horns she won over her career.

On stage she appeared in Porgy and Bess, Ipi Tombi that toured New Zealand, the United States, Monte Carlo and across South Africa, as well as in Little Shop of Horrors, You Strike the Woman and You Strike the Rock.

Connie Chiume was married from 1985 to 2004 and leave behind two adult sons and two daughters.

Connie Chiume's one son Nongelo Chiume, told Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) on Tuesday that "we want her to be remembered as someone who was selfless; someone who always wanted to see the next person doing great things in their God-given talent".

"My mother was a very ambitious person. She was a hard worker, she was a visionary, and I think one of the things that kept her going was her faith. She had so much faith in terms of how she connected with her spirituality".

"Very few people know that she also received an honorary award in the United States - Freedom of the City in Houston, Texas."

Music biz set soap Rhythm City from Quizzical Pictures on e.tv celebrates a decade on South African TV; promises 'more gripping storylines'.

Rhythm City on e.tv is celebrating a decade on the air since the weekday soap set inside South Africa's music business started on the red letter channel on 9 July 2007, promising "more gripping storylines".

With some of the soap's original cast like Jamie Bartlett, Sethabi Taunyane, Mduduzi Mabaso, Mpho Molepo and Tebogo Khalo still seen in the popular local weekday drama, the actors and crew last week celebrated the 10th birthday with a lavish Johannesburg birthday bash.

In June 2007 e.tv cancelled the low-rated youth soap Backstage that failed to lure viewers, but to the channel's credit, e.tv believed that the channel must have a local weekday soap and gave it another try with Rhythm City, produced by Quizzical Pictures (formerly Curious Pictures).

The soap, its characters and its intrigue - set against the backdrop of the fast-paced South African music industry with drama taking viewers from the streets and clubs of Soweto to the recording studios and radio stations of Johannesburg - instantly found bigger appeal under e.tv viewers.

Moved from 18:30 to the 19:00 timeslot in January 2015 opposite SABC3's Isidingo that remains in a ratings struggle, e.tv's Rhythm City now commands a sizeable audience of 3.5 million viewers. It perennially remains the second most watched show on e.tv just behind e.tv's other soap, Scandal, as a lucrative half hour of prime time programming for the channel.

"Rhythm City is one of e.tv's flagship shows, drawing audiences to the channel who are looking for their dose of daily drama," says Marlon Davids, e.tv's managing director. "We are delighted with the way both the show and e.tv have evolved over the past 10 years and look forward to reaching more milestones together".

"When we started working on Rhythm City, we didn't think that we would still be going this strong 10 years later," says Harriet Gavshon, Rhythm City executive producer at Quizzical Pictures. "Creating gripping storylines for a daily soapie is challenging, but it's a challenge that we take on with gusto."

Besides stories revolving around the struggles as well as the glamour and excess of the local music biz, Rhythm City touched several sensitive and controversial subjects besides the backstabbing and in-fighting that characterises the serialised nature of a soap, ranging from abortion, homosexuality, rape, HIV/Aids and drug addiction to violence against women.

Some of it did land Rhythm City and e.tv in hot water, like last year when the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) found the soap "shockingly inapprioriate" with woman abuse and a strangulation scene without warning in a timeslot too early for the visuals.

Over the years Rhythm City incorporated several real-life celebrities and musicians into its fictional universe, ranging from Kelly Khumalo, Khuli Chana, HHP, Khanyi Mbau, Kwesta, Slikour and Freshlyground to DJ Cleo.

In the past decade Rhythm City has seen its series of cast exists like Pam Andrews leaving after 7 years, backstage unhappiness,  a new opening sequence and look since October 2014, firings like Kelly Khumalo in 2009 over diva behaviour and other, more brutal firings like Connie Chiume  - even a real-life studio lot fire at Sasani Studios in 2014 that temporarily shut down production.

Watch the first episode of Rhythm City on e.tv here:




Editor's note: 
I'm one of the very few journalists and TV critics in South Africa - literally 4 at most - who was there then when e.tv still showed Ricki Lake and who covered Rhythm City when it started a decade ago, covered it ever since, and who are still around 10 years later to report on it.

It feels disappointing and distasteful that e.tv and Quizzical Pictures couldn't bother to invite, or even just tell, the few longest time media about Rhythm City's 10th birthday celebration at the soap's set on Wednesday.

So, sorry about it but not being able to hear what e.tv execs and the show's producers and cast have to say unfortunately means I can't cover more of the soap's milestone and report who said what.

Who knows where the world will be in another 10 years? I don't know.

What I do know is this: If Rhythm City happens to still be on the air on e.tv by 2027, irrespective of how it looks and who happens to be in it and making it behind-the-scenes, I and some of the few other stalwarts will still be around to report on it, to cover all the news about it, and to chronicle every aspects around its place in and on South African television.

Congratulations to e.tv and Quizzical Pictures on the Rhythm City 10 year TV milestone.

Dumped soap actress Connie Chiume was actually fired from e.tv's Rhythm City after 8 and a half years; says it 'wasn't nice but the nature of the industry'.

The dumped actress Connie Chiume who filmed her last scenes at the Quizzical Pictures produced soap back in February already, didn't quit and didn't retire - she was actually fired from e.tv's soap Rhythm City and says being forced to go "is not nice".

Of course you wouldn't know it from e.tv's prosaic statement yesterday: so rosy, and filled with such heartfelt goodbyes and parting sorrows from everyone (it's not just e.tv that does this) that it deliberately obfuscate what really happened and what is really going on.

Part of why South Africa's TV industry is so bad is because it struggles to be honest with itself and to be honest with viewers.

Other countries are hardly better, but at least America's TV biz - and the press covering it - do a slightly better job being more forthcoming, more direct and more upfront about the comings and goings (and the real reasons why) of executives, crew and talent.

Connie Chiume's contract wasn't renewed. The actress was let go after 8 and a half years. "It is how the script was written and one cannot argue with the writers. It was my time to go. It is not nice but that is the nature of the industry," she the Daily Sun.

Why should it be a "bad" thing? Or a "secret"? It's bad on a level yes - an actress lost a nice long term gig, but it's exactly like she says - the nature of the TV industry.

A slew of local soap stars and channels announced departures the past few days and weeks, all looking to "spread their wings", "focus on family", "look for new challenges" and "sail away on the endless sea of love".

Puh-lease. It's the start of a new financial year for companies and certain actor's contracts ended (for whatever reasons).

Contracts start and end at all times, but the cutting of talent are always more pronounced during this beginning time of the year (just like TV channels will do their new on-air looks usually around September and October when the new marketing budget money rolls in). It's all very cyclical.

The real "sad" is that the majority of talent can't be honest about why they're really gone in their "announcements", and that the local press can't be better to report the real actual reason(s) instead of copy and pasting publicist's carefully crafted press releases.

The biz and actors need to get over the perceived stigma of saying "I was let go", "I was fired for creative reasons", "I negotiated for a higher fee, it didn't work and I walked" and "I didn't like it there anymore".

Just because our soaps sell fantasy, doesn't mean there shouldn't be more upfront honesty about the production of it in reality.

Connie Chiume let go from Quizzical Pictures' e.tv soap Rhythm City after 8 and a half years; will continue to act and focus on farming.

Actress Connie Chiume is gone from e.tv's soap Rhythm City, let go after 8 and a half years from the Quizzical Pictures Production.

As usual with South African soap opera departures, e.tv, like other broadcasters, doesn't want to specify whether the actress was fired, resigned or whether the role ended because of creative reasons.

UPDATE: She was fired, saying: "It is how the script was written and one cannot argue with the writers. It was my time to go. It is not nice."

A statement by e.tv gives the press and South Africa's TV industry no indication of why Connie Chiume is actually gone from Rhythm City.

The actress also left a while ago already ending her time on set in February already, but e.tv is only making the announcement today that the actress' last scene on-screen will be on Wednesday, 20 April.

Connie Chiume isn't retiring from acting, she just won't be acting on Rhythm City anymore.

All that's missing in the modern age of email and the loving and florally infused parting announcements between soap star and soap as yet another South African financial year came to and end and a lot of actors' contracts are not renewed, is actual scented paper.

Connie Chiume will now focus on farming and continue to act - just not on Rhythm City where she was one of the original cast members since 9 July 2007.

'This departure will allow me to pick up on things that were left undone," says Connie Chiume in a statement. "I am grateful for the time and experience with Rhythm City and e.tv. I believe I was born to be an actress, it's in my blood. Parting is such sweet sorrow, and I will miss my Rhythm City family".

"We are very sad to say goodbye to Connie who has been one of the show's cornerstone characters," says Yula Quinn, Rhythm City series producer.

"The brilliance and talent she brought to the soapie in her role as Mamokete, has been an inpiration to many. We will miss her on the Rhythm City set and on our screens."