The final curtain has fallen on the greatest matriarch of SA television – Connie Chiume. But long after the last curtain call, Chiume will be best remembered as Mzansi’s most iconic surrogate mother through her beloved and memorable matriarchy characters in popular series.
Whether it was playing selfless Mamokete Khuse in Rhythm City or crime boss Mam'Sonto in Gomora, she was not only mother to on-screen characters – Stone (Zenzo Ngqobe), Tshidi (Nokuthula Mavuso), Thati (Katlego Danke) and Pretty (Siyasanga Papu), but the entire nation.
Her unflinching portrayal of every role was approached with high empathy, compassion and grace. In return, she became “everybody’s mother” by making viewers feel warm, safe and at home.
Her last act was her most exciting and colourful – since mainstream fame as Stella Moloi in Zone 14 in 2005 – skyrocketing her to Hollywood superstardom at the age of 65, proving that dreams come with no expiration date. Black Panther was particularly special for Chiume as she highlighted in an interview with Sowetan in 2018 that she landed it on the 40th anniversary of her acting career.
Her role, credited as Mining Tribe Elder in the American superhero blockbuster, certified her iconic status, sharing the big screen with the late Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker.
She relished every moment of being directed by Ryan Cooler in Atlanta, Georgia, and reprised the role in the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She was right at home rubbing shoulders with A-listers like Rihanna at the Hollywood premiere.
Those video clips and pictures went viral. When Beyoncé cast SA stars to feature in her 2020 American musical film Black is King, Chiume was top of the list and continued to fly the Mzansi flag high on an international platform. But those two prolific projects were hardly Chiume’s first taste of Hollywood.
In 2004, she starred in Samuel L Jackson’s In My Country and shared the screen with Kim Basinger in I Dreamed of Africa in 2000. Throughout her career, she has received many recognitions, most noticeably multiple SA Film and Television Awards (Saftas). Away from the camera, she was an advocate for actors, often campaigning for diverse roles for women performers of any age and better working conditions.
Her cheerful spirit and quick wit lit up every room she entered at social events – often joined at the hip with her daughter Nothando Mabuza. On the fashion game, she made sure, draped in dramatic gowns by Imprint ZA and Zamaswazi.
Taking her role as “everybody’s mother” seriously even after the camera had stopped rolling, she would praise upcoming actors, offer crucial guidance and spread positivity.
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