Four arrested over boxing champion Zolani Tete’s murder in South Africa

South African police have arrested four people in connection with the murder of boxing champion Zolani Tete, who was shot dead last week outside his home.

Police stated on Monday that they have arrested four suspects over the weekend, and they are aged between 22 and 28. One has been formally charged with murder.

The 38-year-old boxer was arriving at his residence in the Mdantsane township when two armed men wearing balaclavas reportedly got out of a vehicle and opened fire at him on Friday.

A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with Tete survived but is in hospital, police said.

Zolani entered boxing history with a bang in 2017, knocking out his opponent in just 11 seconds with his first punch to retain his WBO bantamweight crown.

Tete ruled the WBO bantamweight division from 2017 to 2019, as well as the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014.

In 2023, the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Agency gave Tete a four-year ban that ended on July 29, and he was preparing to return to professional boxing.

“South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced,” Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said in a statement following the murder.

“He was training for a return to the ring. He believed he still had something to give this country. He was right, but he will not get the chance now. He, and all of us, have been robbed.”

The remaining suspects, who were arrested on Sunday, are required to appear in court on Tuesday. Two have been charged with unlawful possession of firearms and projectiles. It is unclear whether they will also be charged with murder and attempted murder.