Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete shot dead in South Africa
The 38-year-old former WBF and WBO world champion was ambushed at his residence in Mdantsane while awaiting a comeback from a four-year suspension.
Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot and killed at his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Gayton McKenzie, the country’s sports, arts and culture minister, confirmed the death late on Friday, stating that the 38-year-old was killed inside his vehicle.
Police reported that Tete was arriving at his residence and waiting for the gate to open when he was ambushed by two armed suspects wearing balaclavas. A 27-year-old woman in the vehicle with him was shot multiple times and has been hospitalised. The specific motive for the ambush has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
Tete’s professional career spanned nearly two decades, during which he captured the WBF flyweight world title from 2007 to 2008 and the WBO bantamweight title in 2017 and 2019. His record stood at 29 victories, including 22 knockouts, four defeats and one no contest.
The boxer’s most notable achievement came in 2017 when he recorded an 11-second knockout against Siboniso Gonya, a feat recognised as the fastest knockout in a world-title fight. His breakthrough occurred in 2014 with a points victory over Teiru Kinoshita in Japan for the IBF junior-bantamweight world title.
Tete’s last professional appearance was in July 2022, when he defeated Britain’s Jason Cunningham at London’s Wembley Arena. The result was subsequently overturned due to a positive test for stanozolol, leading to a four-year suspension. The boxer consistently denied knowingly taking the banned substance.
With his suspension expiring in July, Tete had been actively working towards a professional comeback. His death marks a sudden end to a career that saw him hold multiple world titles and set records in the sport.
