Four suspects are in police custody following the fatal shooting of former two-division world boxing champion Zolani Tete, who was ambushed outside his Eastern Cape home on Friday.
Tete, 38, was killed while sitting in his car waiting for his residential gate to open in Mdantsane. Authorities said two masked gunmen in balaclavas emerged from another vehicle and fired multiple shots into Tete’s car. A 27-year-old female passenger sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and remains hospitalized.
The arrests were carried out over the weekend as law enforcement launched a investigation into the attack.
A 22-year-old man arrested on Saturday is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Monday. He faces charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the ambush.
The three remaining suspects were taken into custody on Sunday and are set to appear in court on Tuesday. Two of those individuals face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Officials have not stated whether murder or attempted murder charges will be added for the Sunday arrestees.
Tete’s death prompted tributes from political leaders and the international sports community.
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie honored the late fighter, stating, “South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced.”
Former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula also paid tribute to Tete, lamenting the loss of “a great South African who has made an immense contribution in the sport of boxing”.
Tete built a distinguished career in the ring, securing 29 wins out of 34 professional fights, alongside four losses and one no-contest. He captured the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014 and held the WBO bantamweight belt from 2017 to 2019.
Among his notable achievements, Tete set a Guinness World Record in 2017 for the fastest knockout in a title fight, stopping opponent Siboniso Gonya in 11 seconds. He also competed in the United Kingdom eight times, including a 2015 victory over Liverpool’s Paul Butler.
The shooting occurred shortly after Tete completed a four-year anti-doping suspension that lapsed in July.
The ban was imposed by the UK Anti-Doping Agency after Tete tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol following his July 2022 bout against Briton Jason Cunningham in London. Although Tete initially won the match by knockout, the result was later changed to a no-contest due to the failed test.
According to his manager, Mla Tengimfene, Tete was actively training for a professional comeback fight following the expiration of his suspension.
