Connie Chiume's death forced the theater to announce her as one of the inductees; the remaining 39 members will be announced on the day.
As a way of paying tribute to artistic greatness, 15 blocks of sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard in the United States are embedded with stars on the landmark Hollywood Walk of Fame.
To honour South African arts legends, Soweto Theatre will be installing stars engraved with the names of 40 selected legendary figures on the walls of the theatre.
“By embedding these 40 stars within the walls of Soweto Theatre, we are not only acknowledging their immense contribution to the arts but also highlighting the vital importance of creativity in our society,” said Soweto Theatre general manager Vincent Motau.
“Art has the power to inspire, connect and transform.”
of The legend of Soweto, the golden city The event will be held on September 29th, when the selected icon will be announced.
Of the 40 celebrities, only one was named: Connie Chiume, whose death forced the theater to publicly announce her as one of the Hall of Fame members.
“What we are doing on September 29th is something that I have been discussing with Sister Connie for the last nine months,” said Johannesburg City Theatre artistic director James Ngcobo. The Citizen.
Chiume, who was fondly known as Mum Connie, passed away at Garden City Hospital about a month ago at the age of 72.
“She passed away the night before we were to award her this star,” Ngcobo asserted.
Related article: 'Her death happened on the eve of us honouring her on this planet': Soweto Theatre speaks about Connie Chiume
The city's cultural revival
The Soweto Legends Festival in the Golden City continues the tradition of celebrating artistic excellence in the city of Johannesburg and was introduced in 2022 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Johannesburg Theatre under the theme, “Connecting the Stars in the Golden City”.
“The significance of the star is to recognise outstanding contributions to the arts. The star is given to people who have made a difference in the arts industry. When you start listing names, people think, 'Oh, she's done this and that',” Ngcobo said.
Johannesburg City Theatre CEO Xoliswa Nduneni Ngema said this was more than just a tribute to local artists.
“This is a strategic milestone for Johannesburg City Theatres (JCT) and the wider creative sector,” she said.
“Recognising these outstanding people reinforces JCT's commitment to nurturing and promoting local talent and positions Soweto Theatre as a key player in the city's cultural renaissance,” Nduneni Ngema said.
Read now: Connie Chiume passed away just as she was beginning to enjoy the fruits of her illustrious career