Zolani Tete, who held WBF flyweight and WBO bantamweight world titles, killed outdoors his residence in Japanese Cape, South Africa.
Revealed On 22 Aug 2026
Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot and killed at his residence in South Africa, authorities officers have stated.
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s sports activities, arts and tradition minister, stated late on Friday that the 38-year-old Tete was killed in his automotive and {that a} 27-year-old girl who was within the car with him was shot a number of occasions and is in hospital.
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Tete held world title belts within the WBF flyweight class from 2007-2008 and the WBO bantamweight title in 2017 and 2019.
Police stated the capturing occurred in Mdantsane, Japanese Cape and that Tete was arriving at his residence and ready for the gate to open when he was ambushed by two armed suspects sporting balaclavas.
The southpaw’s breakthrough was in 2014 when he defeated Teiru Kinoshita on factors in Japan to win the IBF junior-bantamweight world title. The WBO interim title was then captured earlier than changing into a recognised world champion.
Tete additionally recorded an 11-second knockout with the primary punch of the 2017 world title battle in opposition to Siboniso Gonya – the quickest knockout in a world-title battle.
His skilled profession ended with 29 victories, together with 22 knockouts, 4 defeats and one no contest.
His final look got here in July 2022, when he beat Britain’s Jason Cunningham at London’s Wembley Area, United Kingdom.
A subsequent constructive take a look at for stanozolol noticed the consequence overturned, and Tete was handed a four-year suspension.
The suspension expired in July, and Tete, who persistently denied knowingly taking the banned substance, had been working in the direction of a comeback.
