Four arrested over boxing champion’s murder in South Africa
Four people have been arrested in South Africa in connection with the murder of former two-weight world boxing champion Zolani Tete, who was shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Friday. The 38-year-old was ambushed by two armed, balaclava-clad attackers while waiting for his gate to open, and a 27-year-old woman travelling with him was also shot and remains in hospital. His death has prompted tributes from South African political and sporting figures, who praised him as one of the country's finest fighters.
A 22-year-old man arrested on Saturday faces murder and attempted murder charges and will appear in court on Monday, while the other three suspects, held on Sunday, are due in court on Tuesday, with two so far charged over illegal firearms and ammunition. Tete held the WBO bantamweight title from 2017 to 2019 and the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014, and set a Guinness World Record for the fastest title-fight knockout, finishing an opponent in 11 seconds in 2017. He had recently returned from a four-year doping ban that lapsed in July and was reportedly training for a comeback, having compiled a career record of 29 wins, four losses and one no-contest.
- Boxing champion Zolani Tete shot dead in ambush outside his home
- Four suspects arrested; first court appearance set for Monday
- Two-time world champion was training for comeback after doping ban
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Zolani Tete was a South African boxer regarded as one of the country's most successful fighters, having held world titles at bantamweight and super-flyweight and gained wider recognition for a record-breaking 11-second knockout in a title fight in 2017. He was 38 and had recently completed a doping ban, reportedly working towards a return to the ring. He lived in Mdantsane, a township in the Eastern Cape.
He was shot dead outside his home on a Friday by two armed attackers, in an attack that also left a woman in his company wounded and hospitalised. The circumstances of the shooting, including who was responsible and why, have not been established publicly. His death drew tributes from figures in South African politics and sport.
South African police have since arrested four people in connection with the case, with court appearances beginning this week. The investigation and legal process are ongoing, and no findings about motive or responsibility have yet been confirmed.