Zolani Tete, a former world boxing champion, was shot dead outside his home in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province on Friday, government officials and police said. He was 38.
Tete was waiting for the gate of his residence to open in Mdantsane when two armed men wearing balaclavas got out of a vehicle and opened fire, South Africa’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said in a statement. A 27 year old woman traveling with Tete was shot multiple times and remains hospitalized.
“South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced,” McKenzie said, addressing Tete’s family directly in his statement. “There are no words I can offer tonight that will be equal to what you have lost.”
What We Know So Far
Police have opened an investigation, and the motive for the shooting remains unclear. McKenzie said he would not speculate about who was responsible or why, saying that determination belongs to the South African Police Service and the detectives assigned to the case. He urged community members with information about the attack to come forward, noting that the suspects remain at large.
Tete rose to international prominence in 2014, when he won the IBF junior bantamweight title by defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe. He later held the WBO bantamweight title from 2017 to 2019, along with secondary titles including the WBF crown. His professional record stood at 29 wins, four losses and one no contest across 34 fights, with 22 wins by knockout.
Tete is best remembered internationally for knocking out fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds during a November 2017 title fight in Belfast, the fastest stoppage in world title fight history.
He last fought in 2022, defeating Jason Cunningham in London in a bout later ruled a no contest after Tete tested positive for the banned substance stanozolol. The U.K. Anti-Doping Agency handed him a four year suspension, which expired last month. He had reportedly been training for a comeback at the time of his death.
What Authorities Are Saying
McKenzie said his department remains available to support Tete’s family in whatever way proves useful in the days ahead. “Your son’s name will not be treated lightly by this country,” he said.
The World Boxing Organization mourned Tete’s death in a social media statement, extending condolences to his family, friends and the broader South African boxing community. Filipino boxer John Riel Casimero, who took the WBO bantamweight title from Tete in November 2018, said he was shocked and heartbroken to learn of his former opponent’s death, describing him as a true warrior and champion.
Why This Matters
Tete’s killing is likely to renew attention on violent crime in South Africa, which continues to record one of the highest murder rates in the world despite recent declines in overall homicides. His death has struck a particular chord in Mdantsane, an Eastern Cape township that has produced several of South Africa’s most successful boxers, giving the killing added resonance within the country’s boxing community beyond Tete’s individual fame.
The timing of his death, just as his doping suspension had expired and he was reportedly preparing for a return to competition, adds a particular sense of loss to the case, cutting short what McKenzie described as Tete’s belief that he still had something left to give the sport and his country.
What Happens Next
South African police are continuing their investigation into the shooting, with no suspects yet identified publicly. Authorities have asked residents with any information about the attack to come forward as detectives work to determine a motive and identify those responsible.
McKenzie’s department has pledged ongoing support to Tete’s family as the case proceeds, though no timeline has been given for when the investigation might yield results.
Reporting drawn from People, Reuters and ESPN
