Police arrest suspects ova South African world boxing champion wey gunmen kpai

Police for South Africa don announce say dem don arrest four suspects wey dem dey investigate sake of di murder of boxing world champion Zolani Tete.

Jaguda pipo kpai Tete in front of im house for Mdantsane, Eastern Cape region of South Africa, on Friday, 21 August 2026.

One of di arrested suspects don already dey charged wit murder and attempted murder and e go appear bifor di Magistrate Court for Mdantsane on Monday, 24 August.

Di police neva reveal di name of dis suspect but only tok say e be 22 years old.

Tete na bifor-bifor WBO bantamweight champion, from 2017 to 2019, and e also hold di world champion belt for di IBF super-flyweight category for 2014.

E bin arrive for front of im house on Friday dey wait make dem open gate for am, bifor two gunmen wey wear mask comot from dia hiding place and immediately start to dey shoot.

Police say dem later arrest three more suspects on Sunday, 23 August, and two of dem go appear for di KuGompo Magistrate Court to face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

"All di three suspects arrested on Sunday, 23 August 2026 (aged 27, 27, and 28) dey expected to appear for di main case bifor di Mdantsane Magistrate Court on 25 August 2026," di police tok for statement wey dem release on Monday morning.

Di police no mention di name of any of di suspects wey dem don arrest so far in connection wit Tete murder, including anoda 30 years old man wen dem tok say dem bin detain but later release am.

Di attempted murder charge na sake of di 27-year-old woman wey Zolani Tete bin carry for im car wen di gunmen open fire on top dia bodi, but she survive di shooting and she now dey hospital dey receive treatment.

Di police cut warning make pipo no dey spread fake tori about di incident so dat dem no go scata dia investigation wey still dey go on.

Who be Zolani Tete?

Zolani Tete na ogbonge boxer wey rule di bantamweight and super-flyweight category of world boxing for di mid 2010s.

E win di International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super Flyweight World Champion medal for 2014, and one year later, e beat Paul Butler of Liverpool for im own backyard, and dat na one of di eight times wey Tete fight for di United Kingdom.

Tete na also Guinness World Record for di fastest knockout inside title fight, wen e knock out Siboniso Gonya afta just 11 seconds for 2017.

Im last fight na for July 2022, as e beat Britain boxer, Jason Cunningham, through knockout for London.

But dem later cancel dat victory sake of say dem test Tete and find out say e bin use anabolic steroid stanozolol, wey be banned drug for boxing.

E chop four-year ban by di UK Anti-Doping Agency, and di ban just expire last month, on 29 July, 2026.

Tete manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, tok say e bin don dey train for im comeback fight bifor im death on 29 November.

"Zolani don go for a time wen we tink say e go bring back im career. Di news dey veri devastating, I must say," Tengimfene tell tori pipo for South Africa

Overall, Tete get 29 wins inside 34 fights, four losses and one no-contest.

Condolence messages don already dey come in from govment pipo, former boxers and pipo wey sabi Zolani Tete.

Gayton McKenzie, di Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture for South Africa, tok say: "South Africa don lose one of di finest fighters wey dem eva produce."

Also, John Riel Casimero, di boxer wey collect di WBO Bantamweight belt from Tete for November 2019, tok say e dey "shocked" and "heartbroken" to hear say e don die.

"We bin share di canvas and push each oda to be our absolute best inside di ring. E be true warrior and champion. Rest in peace, champ. Prayers wit your family and loved ones," Casimero tok.

Di WBO don also release statement to console Tete family ova im death.

Gun violence for South Africa

South Africa follow for one of di most dangerous kontris for di world concerning gun violence.

One civil advocacy group - Gun Free South Africa - tok say dem dey kpai at least 33 pipo evri day wit guns for di kontri, and dis number "reflect only a tiny portion of di gun violence wey dey affect di lives of South Africans daily".

Di group also tok say more dan five million licenced guns dey for South Africa, but di number of di guns wey no get licence fit dey even higher.

Tete no be di first popular South African wey gun violence go claim im life.

For 18 October 2007, global reggae icon Lucky Dube, bin kpai afta jaguda pipo open fire on am for Rosettenville, Johannesburg.

Dem murder Lucky Dube wey bin dey just 43 years old dat time, in front of im children afta e bin drop off for one of dia relative house.