Four Suspects Arrested Over Killing of Former World Boxing Champion Zolani Tete
By TUW
South African police have arrested four people in connection with the fatal shooting of former two-time world boxing champion Zolani Tete, as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.
Tete, 38, was killed on Friday, August 21, after returning to his home in the NU17 area of Mdantsane. Police said he was sitting in his vehicle waiting for the residential gate to open when two armed men wearing balaclavas approached and opened fire.
A woman who was travelling with the boxer was also wounded in the shooting and remains in hospital. Police are investigating the incident as both a murder and attempted murder case.
Eastern Cape police said the first suspect was arrested before three additional arrests were made over the weekend. According to police, one of the suspects was expected to appear before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing murder and attempted murder charges. The other three suspects are expected to appear in court at a later stage.
Authorities have not publicly established a motive for the killing, while the investigation remains ongoing. Police have indicated that further arrests cannot be ruled out as detectives continue gathering information about the attack.
Tete leaves behind a significant legacy in South African boxing. He captured the World Boxing Federation flyweight title in 2007 and later became a World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion, holding the WBO crown during the 2017–2019 period.
His death has sent shockwaves through the boxing community, particularly in Mdantsane, a township with a long-standing reputation for producing prominent boxers.
The investigation continues as police seek to determine what led to the targeted shooting and whether others were involved.
