4 arrested after world champion boxer shot dead in South Africa
Zolani Tete made history in 2017 when he took just 11 seconds to knock out his opponent with his first punch to retain his WBO bantamweight crown.
South African authorities have arrested four individuals in connection with the murder of former world champion boxer Zolani Tete, according to police. Tete, 38, was shot dead on Friday evening as he returned home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape province. A 27-year-old woman who was with him in the car managed to survive and is currently hospitalized.
The South African Department of Sport confirmed Tete's death on Friday night. The four suspects arrested over the weekend range in age from 22 to 28. One of them has been formally charged with murder. Tete had a remarkable professional career, beginning with an impressive 13-0 record. He received his first world championship opportunity but lost it to Moruti Mthalane.
However, a subsequent 12-fight winning streak propelled him to the upper echelons of boxing. Tete won the IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 and the WBO bantamweight world title in 2017. He set the record for the fastest knockout victory in a world championship bout in 2017 when he defeated Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds.
In 2023, the U.K. Anti-Doping Agency imposed a four-year ban on Tete, which ended on July 29. He was preparing to return to professional boxing. South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie expressed deep sorrow over Tete's passing, stating that he was training for a return to the ring and had believed he still had something to contribute to the country. McKenzie emphasized that both Tete and the nation have been robbed of his potential contributions.
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