South Africa has lost one of its finest fighters, the minister of sport, arts and culture said, after Zolani Tete was shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape. The 38-year-old, a two-time world champion, was killed in what authorities described as an ambush on Friday.
Officials said Tete was sitting in his car waiting for the gate to open when two armed suspects in balaclavas emerged from another vehicle and fired multiple shots at him and a 27-year-old female passenger. The woman remains in hospital. The assailants fled and police have launched a major investigation, the minister added.
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's minister of sport, arts and culture, issued a brief tribute, saying, "South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced." The World Boxing Organization also posted condolences on social media, stating, "We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and the entire South African boxing community during this incredibly difficult time."
Tete held the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014 and the WBO bantamweight belt from 2017 to 2019. He recorded 29 wins in 34 fights, with four losses and one no-contest, and fought in the United Kingdom eight times, including two world title defences in Belfast. In 2015 he beat Liverpool's Paul Butler, and in 2017 he set a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a title fight, stopping Siboniso Gonya inside 11 seconds.
His last bout took place in July 2022 in London, where he beat Jason Cunningham by knockout. That result was later ruled a no-contest after Tete tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. The UK Anti-Doping Agency imposed a four-year ban that ended on 29 July, 2026.
After his death, manager Mla Tengimfene said Tete had been training for a comeback fight. Mlandeli Tengimfene told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that Tete had been preparing for a return to the ring on 29 November, adding, "Zolani is gone at a time we thought he was going to resuscitate his career."
International fighters paid tribute. Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue called Tete a "wonderful boxer," and added, "I hope the world is peaceful. And please, rest in peace." John Riel Casimero, who took the WBO bantamweight title from Tete in November 2019, said he was "shocked" and "heartbroken," and described Tete as "a true warrior and champion."
The investigation into the shooting will determine who carried out the attack and why, while the boxing community contends with the loss of a notable champion who had recently become eligible to fight again. Authorities say they are following leads as the case proceeds.
