Former world boxing champion Zolani Tete has been shot and killed outside his home in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The 38-year-old South African boxing star was gunned down in the Mdantsane municipality when two hooded men stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on him as he arrived at his residence, according to statements from police and the country's Minister of Sport.
A 27-year-old woman who was traveling in the vehicle alongside Tete was also hit by multiple gunshots during the attack. Emergency services transported her to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment.
Investigation and official response
Police have launched a formal criminal investigation into the shooting, though authorities confirmed that the motive behind the ambush remains unclear. South African Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie stated that he would not speculate on who carried out the attack or why it occurred.
The killing comes amid ongoing national concern over South Africa's high homicide rates, despite recent official data indicating a decline in murder statistics. Tete's death has caused profound sorrow across Mdantsane, a township in the Eastern Cape renowned for producing several of South Africa's most notable boxing talents.
Boxing career and record knockouts
Tete, who fought under the nickname "Last Born", enjoyed a distinguished career in professional boxing across multiple weight classes. He captured his first major world title in 2014 when he won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight championship by defeating Japan's Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe.
He later added the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight world title to his collection of honors. On the international stage, Tete made boxing history in November 2017 in Belfast during a title fight against fellow South African boxer Siboniso Gonya. Tete knocked out Gonya in just 11 seconds, a performance that remains the fastest knockout in world title boxing history.
Police investigations into the fatal shooting remain active as authorities seek to identify and trace the suspects involved in the attack.
