Four suspects have been arrested over the killing of former two-weight world boxing champion Zolani Tete, who was gunned down outside his home in Mdantsane in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
Tete, 38, was shot dead on Friday evening after two armed men wearing balaclavas allegedly emerged from a vehicle and opened fire as he waited in his car for the gate to his home to open. A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with him was also shot and remains in hospital.
Police have not established a motive for the attack.
Four suspects arrested as murder probe gathers pace
The first suspect, a 22-year-old man, was arrested on Saturday, a day after Tete was killed. Three more suspects, aged 27, 27 and 28, were detained on Sunday as police intensified their investigation.
The 22-year-old appeared at the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with Tete’s murder and the attempted murder of the woman who was with him. The case was postponed to Tuesday, 25 August.
The other three suspects are also expected to appear before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Police said two of those arrested face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Tete was pronounced dead following the ambush in NU17, Mdantsane. The woman who was with him survived the shooting and was taken to hospital.
Tributes pour in for two-time world champion
Tete’s death has sent shockwaves through South African boxing, with Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie describing him as one of the finest fighters the country had produced.
McKenzie said Tete had been preparing to return to the ring following the end of his four-year doping ban.
“He was training for a return to the ring. He believed he still had something to give this country. He was right, but he will not get the chance now. He, and all of us, have been robbed,” McKenzie said.
Former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula also paid tribute, describing Tete as “a great South African who has made an immense contribution in the sport of boxing”.
Tete had been preparing for boxing comeback
Tete captured the IBF junior-bantamweight also known as super-flyweight world title in 2014 before becoming WBO bantamweight champion in 2017. He held the WBO belt until 2019.
He also made boxing history in 2017 by knocking out fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds, a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world title fight.
British boxing fans also knew Tete well. He defeated Liverpool fighter Paul Butler in 2015 and fought eight times in the United Kingdom.
His final bout came in London in July 2022, when he initially recorded a knockout victory over Britain’s Jason Cunningham. The result was subsequently changed to a no-contest after Tete tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
The UK Anti-Doping Agency imposed a four-year ban, which expired in July 2026. Tete had been training in hopes of making a comeback, according to his manager Mla Tengimfene.
Tete finished his professional career with 29 victories from 34 fights, four defeats and one no-contest.
His killing comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s persistently high levels of violent crime. Recent police statistics covering January to March showed an average of about 58 murders a day.
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