'We will be alright,' sings slain Rhythm City actor Dumi Masilela in his final e.tv soap appearance; character to die in off-air hijacking, followed by in-show memorial service.

Last night South Africans viewers saw the last appearance of the Rhythm City character, S'fiso Ngema, who will tragically die in exactly the same real-life hijacking attempt that befell the actor Dumi Masilela in the e.tv weekday soap.

"We will be alright," sang Dumi Masilela behind the mic in the closing scene of Wednesday's episode after which the credits rolled - the last that viewers will see of S'fiso.

Over the next few days Rhythm City characters will suddenly get the awful news that S'fiso was gunned down in a horrific hijacking attempt and is dead.

This will be followed by a special episode next week Wednesday, 18 October that incorporates an on-screen memorial episode, with the actor's mom Sabatha Magdeline and his brother Thabani Masilela who will make special appearances.

Wednesday's episode follows two months after the shock death of Dumi Masilela in an attempted hijacking on 2 August in Tembisa that brought production on the Quizzical Pictures produced soap to a standstil as cast and crew underwent psychological counselling.

To tell S'fiso's exit story, the producers got the family's permission to "re-enact" the abrupt and shocking way that Dumi Masilela died in real-life, with the exit of Sifiso Ngema mirroring what happened to the actor to help focus attention on the scourge of violent crime in South Africa.

Rhythm City said in September that the character of S'fiso Ngema will leave the e.tv soap in the way that Dumi Masilela was murdered, although an actual recreation of the hijacking won't be shown in the soap.

"After extensive consultation with the Masilela family, the producers of Rhythm City have decided to incorporate Dumi Masilela's tragic death into the exit storyline of his character, S'fiso, to highlight the scourge of violence that is sadly so prevalent in South Africa," said the soap that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

"The show's producers decided to use Sifiso's exit story as a way to pay tribute to Dumi's work as an actor and to highlight the tragedy of unnecessary violence that plagues our cities," says Rhythm City  producer Yula Quinn.

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."