Zolani Tete, a two-time former world boxing champion, was shot dead outside his home in the Mdantsane township in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, with a woman who was with him also wounded.
Zolani “Last Born” Tete, a two-time former world boxing champion, has been shot dead outside his home in South Africa, according to reports from the BBC, the Guardian and Sky News.
Tete held the WBO bantamweight and IBF super-flyweight world titles during his career, the BBC reported. He was 38 years old, according to the Guardian.
The Guardian reported that Tete was arriving at his house in the Mdantsane township, in Eastern Cape province, when two men in balaclavas got out of a car and shot him. He was declared dead at the scene.
A 27-year-old woman who was with Tete was also shot multiple times and taken to hospital, according to the Guardian.
Sky News reported that the killing was confirmed by government officials.
The Guardian noted that the attack took place amid what it described as rampant violence in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest murder rates.
Why it matters
Tete was a prominent figure in world boxing, and his killing draws attention to South Africa's high levels of violent crime. The death of a well-known athlete outside his own home underscores concerns about public safety in the country.