Former world boxing champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete was shot dead outside his home in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
The tragic incident occurred when the 38-year-old was arriving at his house when two men suddenly got out of a car and opened fire on him. On the spot, he was declared dead but a 27-year-old woman who accompanied Tete was injured badly and taken to hospital.
Soon after the mishap, the police started an investigation but for now the motive of killing Tete seems unclear. Therefore, law enforcement authorities have asked for public assistance.
“I will not speculate about who did this or why,” Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said in a statement.
The assassination of Tete is expected to refocus public attention on violent crime within South Africa, the country that continues to experience one of the highest per capita murder rates globally. However, recent years have seen marginal decreases in homicides.
The death of the world champion has also profoundly impacted Mdantsane, an Eastern Cape township historically distinguished for producing many of South Africa’s most accomplished boxing professionals.
Tete won the IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 after beating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe. He also triumphed with the WBO bantamweight crown.
What makes his worth-remembering his 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast in November 2017. It is known as the fastest stoppage in a world title fight.
