Former two-time world boxing champion Zolani Tete has been shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Tete, 38, was reportedly ambushed on Friday, while sitting in his car waiting for the gate to his residence to open.
According to officials, two armed men wearing balaclavas emerged from another vehicle and opened fire, hitting Tete and a 27-year-old woman who was travelling with him. The woman survived the attack and remains hospitalised.
South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, mourned the former champion, describing him as one of the finest fighters the country had produced.
The two suspects reportedly fled the scene after the shooting, while police launched an investigation into the killing.
Tete enjoyed a distinguished professional career, winning the WBO bantamweight title in 2017 and holding it until 2019. He had previously captured the IBF super-flyweight championship in 2014.
The South African also fought eight times in the United Kingdom and recorded a notable victory over Liverpool’s Paul Butler in 2015.
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Tete entered the Guinness World Records for the fastest knockout in a world title fight when he stopped compatriot Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds in 2017.
His final professional bout came in July 2022 in London, where he defeated Britain’s Jason Cunningham by knockout. The result was subsequently changed to a no-contest after Tete tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
He was handed a four-year ban by the UK Anti-Doping Agency, which ended on July 29, 2026.
Following his death, Tete’s manager, Mla Tengimfene, confirmed that the former champion had been training in preparation for a comeback to the ring.
Tete retired with a professional record of 29 victories, four defeats and one no-contest from 34 fights.
His death has sent shockwaves through South Africa’s boxing community, with tributes expected to continue pouring in for the former world champion.
