South African actress Connie Chiume played Zawavari, a Wakandan elder and former leader of the Mining Tribe in 'Black Panther' movies. Photo: TNS
Black Panther actress Connie Chiume died suddenly this week following a “medical procedure.” She was 72.
She died Tuesday at the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, her family said in a statement on Instagram. A follow-up post said she’d had “a period of illness.”
No cause of death was provided in either post.
Nongelo Chiume, the actress’ son, told Newzroom Afrika she was in the “hospital for a medical procedure.”
“She was recovering well, but unfortunately we then got the news of her passing,” he said.
The South African actress was born June 5, 1952. In Black Panther and its sequel she played Zawavari, a Wakandan elder and former leader of the Mining Tribe. She worked mostly in the South African film and TV industry, but she also appeared in 1994’s The Air Up There, which marked one of her earliest credits. She had been a trained teacher before becoming an actor, according to BBC News.
She received the South African Film and Television Awards‘ lifetime achievement honor in 2022.
“Our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of multi-award winning and legendary actress Connie Chiume. Her outstanding work will always be remembered,” the South African government posted on social media.
A number of other performers in the the first Black Panther have died unexpectedly. Stuntman Taraja Ramsess and three of his children were killed in a car crash last Halloween. Star Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 after quietly suffering from colon cancer for four years. He was 43 years old. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
