EASTERN CAPE: Former South African world champion boxer and Guinness World Record holder Zolani Tete was shot dead by masked gunmen outside his home in the Eastern Cape, according to international media reports.
According to international media reports, 38-year-old Tete was sitting in his car in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Friday and waiting for the gate of his home to open when masked gunmen opened fire on him, firing multiple shots.
Authorities said a 27-year-old woman who was with Tete was also injured in the shooting and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
The attackers fled the scene, while police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Tete won the WBO bantamweight title in 2017 and held it until 2019. He had also won the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014.
In 2017, he set a Guinness World Record by winning a world title fight via an 11-second knockout.
Tete’s last fight took place in 2022. Following the end of a doping ban, he was preparing to return to the ring. He had 29 wins from 34 professional bouts.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) and several of his former opponents expressed deep sorrow over his death.
