- 29 AUGUST 2026 IN Mdantsane, Eastern Cape of South Africa
Family of our departed son, Zolani Tete, ikhokhelwe ngu Tata ka Zolani;
Leaders of government and political parties;
Leaders of the boxing fraternity, coaches, trainers, managers and promoters;
Boxers in our midst who have lost one of their own;
Friends of Zolani and loved ones;
Fellow mourners,
We meet today with a deep sense of sadness to say farewell to a son of Mdantsane, a son of the Eastern Cape and a proud South African, Zolani “Last Born” Tete.
Mandithathe elithuba ndibhekise amazwi kusapho lakwa Tete phambi kokuba ndithethe zonke ezinye izinto endizokuzithetha kuba inxeba linzulu kakhulu kubo.
There are no words that can fill the space Zolani has left behind. We can only stand beside you in this difficult moment and assure you that your loss is shared by many. The people of Mdantsane mourn with you. The Eastern Cape mourns with you. South African boxing mourns with you, and the country remembers a man who took our flag into the world and gave us many reasons to be proud.
Before he became a world champion and a name known in boxing circles around the world, Zolani was a son who was loved by his family and a young man from Mdantsane who had a dream. We thank his father and late mother for raising him, for sharing the sacrifices, the disappointments and the triumphs that came with a life in professional boxing.
Your son made an indelible mark in the South African society. A mark that will never be erased by the callous act of the cowards who took his life. Ngalomazwi sithi Thuthuzelekani!
CARRYING FORWARD THE LEGACY OF EASTERN CAPE BOXING
Fellow mourners, Zolani did not only make his family proud. He made his community proud, he made the Eastern Cape proud, and, through his achievements, he made the entire country proud. When he travelled abroad and entered the ring, he carried more than his own ambitions. He carried the name of South Africa, and he showed the world that a young man from Mdantsane could compete and succeed at the highest level of his sport.
Ndiyathemba ubhuti Vuyani Bungu no bhuti Welcome Ncitha, no Hawk Makhephula namanye amagqala womdlalo wamanqindi banebhongo ngo Zolani.
Lo mfana wathatha apho bebeyeke khona, waphakamisa igama laseMdantsane, iMpuma Koloni kunye noMzantsi Afrika nangakumbi kwi boxing. As we speak, the Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world title fight is held by Zolani, when he knocked down his fellow South African opponent in 11 seconds.
Ndamqumbela ke ngalonto, ndamxelela futhi kuba ndandisazenzela ikofu, xa ndiqala uchopha phambi kwe TV kwathiwa ifight iphelile.
FROM MDANTSANE TO THE WORLD
Boxing took Zolani to places that a young boy growing up in Mdantsane could only have imagined. He competed internationally and had the opportunity to learn from some of the great names in world boxing, including Floyd Mayweather Sr. in the United States. What stands out about that part of his journey is that Zolani remained willing to learn.
Becoming a world champion did not make him believe that he had nothing more to learn. He continued to work on his craft and to seek knowledge from people who could make him a better fighter. That willingness to learn was part of what made him the boxer he became.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CHAMPION
But no champion gets there alone, and today we must acknowledge the people who walked that journey with him: the unsung heroes behind the success of our boxing champions. Today we salute the coaches who worked with Zolani from his amateur days, when he was still a young boxer with a dream, before the world knew his name.
We remember the trainers who continued to develop him as he moved into professional boxing, the managers who guided his career, the promoters who created opportunities for him and everyone else who stood behind him throughout his career.
To all of you, we say thank you. Your contribution formed part of the journey that took a young boxer from Mdantsane to the world stage.
A CHAMPION WHO INSPIRED A GENERATION
Zolani became a two-weight world champion and gave South African boxing some unforgettable moments. But while we will remember his titles and the great victories, I believe we should also remember what stood behind them: the discipline, the sacrifice, the training and the determination of a young man who refused to give up on his dream.
That is the part of Zolani’s story that should continue to inspire our young people. His life showed that where you come from does not have to determine how far you can go. Mdantsane was his home, but it was never the limit of his ambition. He took the dream he developed here and carried it to the world.
A LIFE CUT SHORT
Fellow mourners, the hardest part of this loss is knowing that Zolani was only 38 years old. He still had plans and was still looking towards the future. He was preparing for a return to boxing and believed there was more he could contribute to the sport and to those who looked up to him.
His story should not have ended this way. We cannot speak about his passing without confronting the violence that took him from his family and from all of us.
A man who spent his life competing in the boxing ring should not have his life taken through violence in his own community.
We must allow the law to take its course and justice to prevail, but we must also be honest about the responsibility we carry as a society to confront violent crime and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
The loss of Zolani should strengthen our determination to build communities where our young people can pursue their dreams and return home safely to their families.
A MESSAGE TO SOUTH AFRICA’S BOXERS
I want to speak directly to Zolani’s fellow boxers and to the generation of fighters who are carrying South African boxing forward.
To Azinga Fuzile, to Sivenathi Nontshinga, to our champions and professional boxers across the country, and to every young fighter who is still training in a boxing gym with dreams of reaching the top: one of the best ways you can honour Zolani is through the way you conduct yourselves in the sport he loved.
Remain dedicated to your craft. Stay disciplined, respect your trainers and continue learning, even when you have achieved success. Look after your careers and understand that the opportunities you receive come with a responsibility to those who will follow you.
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO GIVE BACK
Zolani himself benefited from people who invested in him when he was still coming through the amateur ranks. Coaches taught him, trainers developed him, managers guided his career and promoters gave him opportunities to test himself against the best.
Now it is your turn to give something back. When you reach the level Zolani reached, do not forget the young boxer standing at the back of the gym watching you. Share what you have learnt. Encourage those who are coming through. Give young fighters an opportunity where you can.
If you have knowledge, pass it on. If you have influence, use it to open a door for somebody else. That would be a fitting way to honour Zolani, because his story was never only about winning belts. It was also about showing a young person from Mdantsane that a different future was possible.
A LEGACY THAT MUST LIVE ON
Zolani showed what a young man from Mdantsane could achieve when talent was matched with hard work, discipline and determination. He became a world champion, but more importantly, he became an example to those who came after him.
We will remember the young boy who entered the boxing gym with a dream, the professional who travelled the world, the champion who stood beneath the lights carrying the South African flag, and the man whose life touched so many people.
Zolani “Last Born” Tete, your journey took you from Mdantsane to the world, and you made your family, your community, your province and your country proud. May those who follow in your footsteps carry forward the values that took you to the top, and may they use their own success to create opportunities for those coming behind them.
Rest in peace, Last Born.
You have fought your fight. We will carry your memory forward.
Lala ngoxolo, Zolani Tete.
May your soul rest in peace.
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