Four suspects are in custody over the Zolani Tete murder. Eastern Cape police say more arrests are coming as the hunt for those behind the boxing champion’s death continues.
Tete was 38. He held world titles in two weight divisions during a long professional career.
He was shot dead outside his home in NU17, Mdantsane, on the evening of Friday, 21 August. Two gunmen wearing balaclavas ambushed him as he sat waiting for his gate to open. That detail came from Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana.
A 27-year-old woman travelling with Tete was shot multiple times. She remains in hospital. Police have not named her or explained her relationship to the boxer.
Officers moved fast. The first arrest came less than 24 hours after the shooting.
A 30-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were picked up in KuGompo City on Saturday, 22 August. Gantana described it as a swift, intelligence driven operation involving several law enforcement units.
The 30-year-old was later released. He is now treated as a potential witness rather than a suspect in the Zolani Tete murder.
The 22-year-old was not so fortunate. He has been formally charged with murder and attempted murder. He was due before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Three more suspects followed on Sunday. Aged 27, 27 and 28, they were arrested in Scenery Park and Mdantsane.
That brought the total number of arrests linked to the Zolani Tete murder to five. Only four remain in custody, following the earlier release.
Gantana said the investigation was at a sensitive stage. Police could not yet share a motive, she said, though detectives were following several leads and expected the net to widen further.
Tete’s long-time manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, painted a darker picture. He said the boxer had lived under the shadow of death threats for close to two years.
Tengimfene said he too had been warned his life was in danger. Neither man took up extra security, despite raising the threats with law enforcement.
Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety Xolile Nqatha welcomed the pace of the arrests in the Zolani Tete murder inquiry. Swift police work, he said, should help secure a successful prosecution.
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie had already appealed to the public for information once news of the killing broke. SAPS is asking anyone with details on the Zolani Tete murder to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Tete’s record spoke for itself. He took the WBF flyweight belt in 2007 and the WBO bantamweight title in 2017.
That same year he produced boxing’s fastest recorded world title knockout, stopping Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds. He retired with 29 wins, four defeats and a single no contest.
Known affectionately as Last Born, Tete had only recently returned from a four year doping suspension. He was reportedly preparing for a comeback fight in November.
His father, Zolile Tete, said the family remained devastated. The loss came just as his son was rebuilding his career.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane was expected to visit the Tete family on Monday. The province is still absorbing the shock of the killing.
Investigators say the case remains open. Further updates on the Zolani Tete murder are expected once the court process gets under way.
