Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete shot dead outside his home in South Africa

Ambush outside Mdantsane residence

Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete was shot and killed outside his residence in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Friday evening. The attack occurred at approximately 18:30 local time while the 38-year-old fighter was sitting in his vehicle waiting for the security gate to open. According to police reports, two armed suspects wearing balaclavas exited another vehicle and fired multiple rounds directly into Tete's car. Tete attempted to steer the vehicle into the driveway of the property to escape the gunfire, but the injuries he sustained proved fatal at the scene. A 27-year-old female passenger in the car was also struck multiple times by gunfire. Emergency services transported the woman to a nearby hospital, where she continues to receive treatment for severe injuries.

Murder inquiry and official response

The two masked assailants fled the scene in their vehicle immediately after firing the shots and remain at large. South African police launched a formal murder investigation into the shooting, with detectives working to trace the suspects and determine the circumstances surrounding the ambush. Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's minister of sports, arts and culture, confirmed the death and called on the public to come forward with any information that could assist investigators. McKenzie described the killing as a profound loss for the country's sporting community.

South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced.

World championships and record knockout

Tete established himself as one of South Africa's most decorated boxers over a career spanning 34 professional bouts, recording 29 wins, four losses, one no-contest, and 22 knockouts. He held world championship belts across multiple sanctioning bodies and weight classes, starting with the WBF flyweight title between 2007 and 2008. In 2014, he claimed the IBF super-flyweight championship with a victory over Teiru Kinoshita. Tete fought eight times in the United Kingdom, including a 2015 contest in Liverpool where he defeated Paul Butler. In 2017, he secured the interim WBO bantamweight title, which was subsequently elevated to full championship status and held through 2019. That same year, Tete earned a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world title bout by defeating challenger Siboniso Gonya in under 11 seconds.

Suspension and planned comeback

Tete's last appearance in the ring took place in London in July 2022 against British opponent Jason Cunningham. Tete initially won the match by knockout, but the official result was later overturned and ruled a no-contest after he failed a post-fight drug screening. The test returned a positive result for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol, leading the UK Anti-Doping Agency to issue a four-year competitive suspension. The ban officially concluded on 29 July 2026, clearing the former champion to pursue a return to professional boxing. His manager, Mla Tengimfene, confirmed that Tete had resumed intensive training and had targeted a competitive comeback fight scheduled for November.