Tete tried to escape the attack by driving his vehicle into the yard but died at the scene. The woman sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she remained under treatment.
“In an attempt to escape the hail of bullets, the deceased drove his vehicle into the yard. He unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on the scene,” police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said, via the Daily Mail.
No arrests had been made Friday night. Police opened murder and attempted murder investigations, with the reason for the attack still unknown.
Tete won the IBF junior bantamweight title by stopping Teiru Kinoshita in Japan in 2014. He later captured the WBO bantamweight championship and produced the defining finish of his career in November 2017, knocking out Siboniso Gonya in 11 seconds. The stoppage remains the fastest knockout in a world title fight.
His final bout came against Jason Cunningham in London in July 2022. Tete initially won by fourth-round knockout, but the result was changed to a no contest after he tested positive for stanozolol. UK Anti-Doping later imposed a four-year suspension.
That ban expired on July 29. Manager Mlandeli Tengimfene said Tete had returned to training and was preparing to fight again on November 29.
South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie described Tete as one of the finest fighters the country had produced and appealed for anyone with information about the shooting to contact police.
Tete finished his professional career with 29 wins, four defeats and one no contest.
