South African Ex-Boxing Champion Zolani Tete Fatally Shot

The boxing community is mourning the loss of Zolani “Last Born” Tete, a celebrated former world champion, who was shot and killed on Friday evening. The incident took place as the 38-year-old boxer was arriving at his home in the Mdantsane township, located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.

According to authorities, two armed individuals, their faces concealed by balaclavas, emerged from a vehicle and opened fire on Tete. A 27-year-old woman, who was accompanying him at the time, was also shot multiple times and has been hospitalized. The motive behind the attack remains unknown, and police have initiated a thorough investigation.

Tete’s untimely death has sent shockwaves through Mdantsane, a township renowned for nurturing some of South Africa’s most accomplished boxers. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie acknowledged the incident but refrained from speculating on the perpetrators or reasons for the shooting.

This tragic event is expected to draw renewed attention to the persistent issue of violent crime in South Africa, a country that grapples with high homicide rates, despite recent fluctuations. Tete had a distinguished career, capturing the IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 and later securing the WBO bantamweight title. He is widely remembered for his spectacular 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in 2017, a record for the fastest stoppage in a world title fight.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)