Connie Temweka Gabisile Chiume, a celebrated South African actress and filmmaker of Malawian descent, has passed away. Chiume was renowned for her roles in productions such as Black Panther, Yizo Yizo, Black Is King, and Blessers.
Born on June 5, 1952, Chiume portrayed Zawavari in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as a council member of the ruling tribes.
Chiume was born in Welkom, South Africa, to Wright Tadeyo Chiume, who hailed from Usisya, in the Malawian lakeshore district of Nkhata Bay. Her mother was from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
In 2018, Chiume played the Mining Tribe Elder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther alongside several Hollywood A-listers, including Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.
Chiume died at the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg on August 6, 2024, at the age of 72. The award-winning actress’s family released a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
Sowetan Live, quoting a statement issued by her family, reports that Chiume died at the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
