MDANTSANE - Boxing champion Zolani Tete was on the brink of an ultimate ring comeback when his life was cut short.
Just weeks after serving a four-year doping ban, the former two-division world champion was shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane.
Mourners, fans and members of the sporting fraternity gathered for an emotional memorial service in KuGompo City to honour a fighter who rose from poverty to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Buffalo City Metro has long been regarded as the Mecca of boxing, with Tete considered one of the stars of the modern generation.
However, a doping ban in 2022 derailed his quest to capture more world titles.
The 38-year-old boxer was expected to make his comeback in November. But his life was cut short when two armed men allegedly shot and killed him, while also wounding his girlfriend, who remains in hospital recovering from her injuries.
Four men have since appeared in the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court facing charges of murder and attempted murder.
READ: 'It was not yet Zolani's time' | Boxing world mourns Tete
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who attended the memorial service, has promised the Tete family that his legacy will not be forgotten.
Tete will be laid to rest on Saturday.