Five suspects have been taken into custody over the ambush shooting of world‑champion boxer Zolani Tete
Zolani Tete, 38, was gunned down outside his home in Mdantsane on Friday. A woman travelling with him was also shot and remains in hospital.
A 22‑year‑old has been arrested on Saturday and will appear in court on Monday facing murder and attempted‑murder charges. Three additional suspects were detained on Sunday and are scheduled to appear on Tuesday; two of them are charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
In the last six years, Tete held the WBO bantamweight title from 2017 to 2019 and the IBF super‑flyweight title in 2014. At the time of his death he had a four‑year ban which ended in July. He had been training for a comeback fight after the ban’s expiry.
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said the nation had lost “one of the finest fighters it has ever produced.” Former minister Fikile Mbalula echoed the sentiment, noting Tete’s immense contribution to South African boxing.
During the ambush, Tete was waiting in his car when two armed men in balaclavas emerged from a vehicle and fired multiple shots at him and the 27‑year‑old female passenger. The attack is being described as a pre‑planned ambush.
Tete’s career boasts 29 wins, four losses, and one no‑contest fight. He once set a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a title fight, ending a bout with Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds in 2017.
He last fought in July 2022, defeating Briton Jason Cunningham by knockout in London. That match was later declared a no‑contest after Tete failed a drugs test, testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
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