South Africa’s former world boxing champion Tete was tragically shot dead outside his home
Former world boxing champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete was tragically shot dead outside his home in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province on Friday, according to police and the country’s sports minister.
The 38-year-old was arriving at his home in Mdantsane township when two armed men in balaclavas exited a vehicle and began shooting.
I will not speculate about who did the shooting or why,” Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie stated in a formal announcement.
Tete’s killing will bring renewed focus on violent crime in South Africa, which still holds one of the highest murder rates globally, even with recent decreases in homicides. The murder of the world champion has resonated deeply in Mdantsane, the Eastern Cape township known for producing some of South Africa’s most accomplished boxers.
A 27-year-old woman traveling with Tete was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital. Authorities have initiated inquiries, and the reason behind the actions remains uncertain.
Tete claimed the IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 by defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe. He subsequently claimed the WBO bantamweight title.
He is most famously recognized on the global stage for his 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast in November 2017, marking the fastest stoppage in a world title fight.
