Former world boxing champion Zolani Tete killed in ambush in South Africa

Zolani Tete, a multiple-division world boxing champion, was fatally shot in front of his residence in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Friday night. According to Eastern Cape police, two unidentified assailants wearing balaclavas opened fire as Tete and a 27-year-old female passenger waited for his gate to open, prompting him to attempt an escape by driving into a nearby yard before he died at the scene. Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana reported the incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Tete, who had recently completed a four-year doping ban that ended in late July, was preparing for a return fight slated for November 29.

His career included IBF junior-bantamweight and WBO bantamweight titles, with notable victories such as a 2014 upset over Teiru Kinoshita in Japan. He last fought in July 2022, a bout later changed to a no-contest after a positive stanozolol test. The tragedy underscores the loss of one of Africa’s most celebrated lighter-weight boxers.