Soapie plots Dumi’s exit
Cops make headway and arrest three for actor’s murder
Police have confirmed to Sowetan that three men have been arrested in connection with the attempted hijacking of late Rhythm City star Dumi Masilela. “There are three suspects who have been arrested, and at this stage these are linked to a hijacked vehicle that was used during the shooting incident which resulted in the death of Dumi Masilela,” said spokesman Lungelo Dlamini. Meanwhile, writers and producers at e.tv’s soapie Rhythm City are set to meet in the next few days to discuss how they will write his character out of the series. Masilela, who played the role of Sifiso Ngema on the soapie, died after being shot in an attempted hijacking in Tembisa on August 2. Rhythm City spokesman Joe Strydom said the soapie’s creators had not yet decided what they would do with Masilela’s character but wanted to make sure it was reflective of his legacy.
“It hasn’t been decided how Dumi will exit the show. There have been discussions but it will most likely be decided at an upcoming meeting.
“They will come up with scenarios and ideas and then decide on the best way forward. We want to make sure that it honours Dumi’s legacy,” Strydom said.
The show’s publicist Mpumi Phillips said producers had “discussed a number of possibilities” but decided to keep Masilela on screen in his current storyline until October.
She also defended their decision not to cut Masilela’s scenes from the episodes after his death, saying they wanted to celebrate his life.
“We didn’t want to hide his talent. This was who he was and we need to celebrate the talent he was.
“We could not just erase him from everything when he was an important part of the show. We are making sure we can pay proper tribute to that legacy with a great send-off,” Phillips said.
Actor will be in Rhythm City storyline until October