Dr John Kani speaking at the memorial service of Connie Chiume. Picture: Gallo Images
Death’s timing is always bad for mourning loved ones, but Connie Chiume’s passing seems particularly badly timed looking at how she was only beginning to reap the rewards of her illustrious career.
The Oasis of Life Family Church in Daveyton hosted Chiume’s memorial service on Tuesday. Some of the speakers reflected on how Chiume was only beginning to enjoy the fruits of her labour.
“It was too soon, it was at a time when Hollywood is now opening for Connie and I. There are projects that are lined up that we were going to get involved in,” said veteran thespian Dr John Kani, speaking at the memorial service.
“It took us a lifetime of commitment to this industry to crack Hollywood, to crack Europe. So you young actors please don’t give up, the moment is just next door, hold on.”
The 72-year-old Chiume passed away a week ago at the Garden City Hospital.
Chiume played Zawavari, the elder of a mining tribe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther.
While Kani portrayed the late king of Wakanda T’Chaka, the father of T’Challa and Shuri.
“What made it work, Connie and I didn’t try to be Americans, we got these roles because they were carved for an African lady, a queen and that’s what Hollywood would understand.”
Before concluding his address, Kani joked that he and Chiume used to speak fondly about one day retiring.
“I used to say to Connie, ‘We need to find money with this Wakada smart City and build a village where we could retire, not pension, retire,” he said.
“We would sit there and do all the roles they never cast us in and we do all the plays they never wanted to work with us [on] and we do them in this old age place and perform for other young people to come and listen to stories of the past that makes them who they are’.”
ALSO READ: Dr John Kani formally receives Order of the British Empire
SABC’s Acting Group Executive: Video Entertainment, Lala Tuku, speaking on behalf of the public broadcaster and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) said Chiume had been granted funding to travel to Nigeria to accept a lifetime achievement award.
“She [Chiume] had applied for funding, so NFVF is a funding institution, and she applied for funding in early 2024 and it was approved and she was going to travel. She was going to go to, I think it was Nigeria, to receive another lifetime award so it’s really a blow to our industry,” averred Tuku.
In 2022, Chiume was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas).
Last week, the Soweto Theatre announced that Chiume will posthumously receive a star at the Soweto Theatre, but this is not an opportunistic bestowment by the theatre, according to Artistic Director of Joburg City Theatres James Ngcobo.
“No, what we’re doing on the 29th of September is something we’ve been communicating with sis’Connie for the last nine months,” Ngcobo told The Citizen.
In recognition of her extraordinary legacy, Soweto Theatre will honour Chiume by dedicating a star to her during this year’s Celebration of Our Legends, scheduled to take place in September. She will receive the star together with 39 other artists.
NOW READ: ‘Her passing came on the eve of us honouring her with this star’: Soweto Theatre on Connie Chiume
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