Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete shot dead in South Africa
By Aneli Fura
Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot and killed outside his home in Mdantsane in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
The 38-year-old boxer was reportedly sitting in his vehicle waiting for his gate to open on Friday when two armed men wearing balaclavas approached and opened fire.
A 27-year-old woman who was inside the vehicle with Tete was also shot several times. She was rushed to hospital, where she remains under medical care.
Tete’s death has sparked shock in South Africa’s boxing community and among sports fans.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie paid tribute to the boxer, describing him as one of the finest fighters South Africa had produced.
Tete enjoyed a successful professional career and held the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014 before becoming WBO bantamweight champion from 2017 to 2019.
He also made boxing history in 2017 when he knocked out Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds during a world title fight. The performance earned him a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world title bout.
Tete finished his professional career with 29 victories, including 22 by knockout, four defeats and one no contest.
His manager said Tete had been preparing to return to the ring after completing a four-year doping ban, which expired on 29 July.
Police investigations into the shooting are expected to continue as authorities work to establish the motive and identify those responsible.
