Zolani Tete, the two-time world boxing champion, passed away on Friday evening after being attacked by assailants wearing balaclavas outside his home in Mdantsane, near Qonce in the Eastern Cape. He was 38 years old.
According to sources, the attack happened as Tete arrived at his homestead in the NU17 section of Mdantsane, reportedly with his girlfriend and three children. His manager, Mlandeli Dengenfene, confirmed the news.
Tete, a former IBF junior bantamweight champion and WBO bantamweight champion, had only recently emerged from a four-year d*ping ban, which was lifted in July. He was preparing for a comeback match scheduled for November, according to his promoter.
Police and forensic pathology teams remained on the scene late into the evening, and investigators had not yet released details on the circumstances of the attack or any suspects.
Former SABC colleague and family friend Unathi Bhungane, now a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, rushed to the scene after hearing the news.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It is devastating that it’s one of our own who may have taken the life of Zolani Tete. It’s one of our own who have cut his life short at the time when this young man has endured four years of s*ffering having been banned from boxing.”
Bhungane praised Tete’s contribution to the region’s sporting legacy. “Zolani Tete was one of those people who ensured that when we are saying the Eastern Cape is the home of legends, we’re not relying on the Mandelas and the Oliver Tambos of this world, but we are able to reflect on the current generation of people who continue to lift the flag of the Eastern Cape.”
Tete rose to international recognition for a six-second knockout during a match in the United Kingdom, a moment that drew global attention to his ability in the ring. He built his home in Mdantsane, long regarded as the heartland of South African boxing, through his earnings from the sport.
Investigations into the circumstances of his passing continue, with authorities yet to confirm whether the attack was targeted.
