Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete shot and killed in South Africa
By Kevin Hand and The Associated Press. Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.
By Kevin Hand and The Associated Press. Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.
Article outline
- What happened
- The details
- A closer look
- The bottom line
Key points
- Tete held world title belts in the WBF flyweight category from 2007-2008 and the WBO bantamweight title in 2017 and 2019.
- When he beat Britain's Jason Cunningham at London's Wembley Arena, United Kingdom, his last appearance came in July 2022.
- Tete additionally recorded an 11-second knockout with the first punch of the 2017 world title fight against Siboniso Gonya – the fastest knockout in a world-title fight.
- The southpaw's breakthrough was in 2014 when he defeated Teiru Kinoshita on points in Japan to win the IBF junior-bantamweight world title.
- Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot and killed at his home in South Africa, administration office-holders have noted.
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's sports, arts and culture minister, remarked late on Friday that the 38-year-old Tete was killed in his car and that a 27-year-old woman who was in the vehicle with him was shot multiple times and is in hospital.
Police remarked the shooting took place in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape and that Tete was arriving at his residence and waiting for the gate to open when he was ambushed by two armed suspects wearing balaclavas.
Meanwhile, the southpaw's breakthrough was in 2014 when he defeated Teiru Kinoshita on points in Japan to win the IBF junior-bantamweight world title. The WBO interim title was then captured before becoming a recognised world champion.
His professional career concluded with 29 victories, including 22 knockouts, four defeats and one no contest.
Notably, a subsequent positive test for stanozolol saw the result overturned, and Tete was handed a four-year suspension.
In practice, the suspension expired in July, and Tete. This person consistently denied knowingly taking the banned substance, had been working towards a comeback.
In short, former world champion boxer Zolani Tete shot and killed in South Africa is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
