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Connie Chiume, proud ‘Salawian’

A roud Salawian: Connie
A proud Salawian: Connie

She has been on the silver screen for close to four decades, entertaining people with her pleasant voice. In fact, she is a seasoned and certainly one of the most successful actresses in South Africa, regarded as a gem of the television industry in the rainbow nation.
For many who follow South African soapie Rhythm City, Mamokete who lives with her husband Kop, daughter Tshidi, and niece Reneilwe, needs no introduction.
But the award winning actress, real name Connie Temweka Gabisile Chiume who has also featured in a number of dramas and movies, needs a special prologue to her local fans as she has Malawian heritage.
She was born to Wright Tadeyo Chiume who came from Usisya, Nkhata Bay years ago. Among her many relations in Malawi they include her politician cousin, Ephraim Mganda Chiume.
“I was born to a Malawian father and a South African mother, who is still alive. Unfortunately, my father died in 1983 in Malawi. I proudly have this Malawian heritage and I actually coined the word Salawian, which I call myself with, because I am a mixture of South African and Malawian,” she told The Nation in an interview from Johannesburg.
She adds: “I feel very strongly about my Malawian culture which unfortunately, I was deprived of because of being born in South Africa. But in the same breadth, I also appreciate my South African roots”.
Born in the 1950s, Connie has been acting since 1977. It is not surprising, therefore, that she is one of the award winning actresses in South Africa, a leading country in sub Saharan Africa, in terms of television industry.
She started her journey with theatrical plays like Ipi Ntombi, which toured South Africa, Monte Carlo, USA and New Zealand, Porgy & Bess, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Connie has acted in numerous feature films as well, including The Air Up There in 1994, Chikin Biznis in 1998, I Dreamed of Africa in 2000 and Country of My Skull in 2004 with Hollywood star, Samuel L. Jackson.
She also featured in a drama series Zone 14, from 2005-2010, for which she won the Golden Horn award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama at the third South African Film and Television Awards in 2009.
She currently plays the role of Mamokete Khuse in the e.tv soapie Rhythm City, since 2007. This is apart from numerous commercials, documentaries and educational films she has had her voice or face on.
“Acting is what God called me for. I was a performer and entertainer at school. I grew up doing all this. Unfortunately, when I was starting there were no drama schools. As such, I have never studied art, save for workshops that I have attended along the way,” she states.
Talking about her role as Mamokete, she says she auditioned seven years ago and got cast for her second soapie in South Africa.
“I have been with Rhythm City for seven years. I did Generations when it was just beginning 20 years ago. It was just for a year and then moved to do other things. But a soapie is not the only thing that defines an actor as there is a whole lot of other things. I have done a number of other things which are probably not seen in Malawi,” she said.
Her career has taken her to different places across the globe including Swaziland, USA, Greece, Israel, UK, New Zealand and many others for performances. She still hopes for more.
“I love my job and one of my wishes is to have collaborations with Malawian artists so that we exchange information and knowledge. I have seen some of Malawian productions here being flighted at SABC and I thought they were very good and with high standard. I was very impressed with what the Malawian producers, technicians and actors did there,” she mused.
As a proud Salawian, Connie has never hidden her true being—her Malawian heritage. Every year, she makes it a point to attend a gathering of Malawians leaving in South Africa for Christmas parties and other important gatherings. She has not lost contact with her paternal side.
“I am always in and out of Malawi to visit my relations in Usisya, Nkhata Bay and my sister who stays in Chilobwe,” she says.
Having spent a greater part of her life in South Africa, one may wonder as to when Connie will come and settle down in Malawi. But her coming and subsequent settling depends on the availability of opportunities she says.
“I am an artist, very outgoing and would like to live where arts is alive. If I were to settle down, it would be in Usisya, near the lake, it is such a beautiful place.
She harbours plans of turning the infant Malawian arts industry into a fully-flegged industry.
“I intend to establish a film school where we are going to collaborate with Malawian artists. Other than that there is also an organisation called Centre for Social African Development which I am the chairperson. Some of our objectives are to help people trace their roots especially Salawians like me who have never been to Malawi. We aim to organise that one day, they should come and see where their fathers came from. There are also people in Malawi whose relatives came to South Africa way back and they do not know where they are now. We also assist them.
“We also want to assist children born in South Africa from Malawian parents as they seem not to have an identity since South Africa does not recognize them as its citizens and so too does Malawi. We are also helping ex-miners with their money,” she said.
Her company Faith Again pictures intends to shoot a movie in Malawi.
“I would like to make a movie whose story will be based in Malawi. It will be about my father’s experiences in Malawi then in South Africa, before coming back to Malawi where he died.” recalled the actress.
A born again Christian, in her free time, Connie loves reading, cooking and praying.
Other places that interests her are Mangochi, Thyolo and Mulanje because of the water and the green scenery of tea plantations respectively.
When all is said and done, Connie wants to be remembered as a Salawian who contributed towards bridging the gap between Malawi and South Africa, it is my prayer that people who come after me continue, with that,” she said.

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