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When someone dies, people grieve about more than the simple loss of a loved one.
They grieve for themselves, for the family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
People also grieve for the lives the deceased touched and those they would have touched.
In the case of Zolani “Last Born” Tete — a principled man of the people, sportsman extraordinaire, family man and a friend in the true sense of the world — the grief is boxing’s.
By all accounts, Zolani came from a simple family of four siblings — two brothers and two sisters — in Mdantsane, the home of many boxing legends. Nkosana “Happy Boy” Mgxaji, Welcome “The Hawk” Ncita, Vuyani “The Beast” Bungu, and Mpush “Lion King” Makambi are just a few.
Zolani dedicated his life and boundless energy to the fistic sport.
He devoted his world-class talent, time and resources to the cause of boxing — a sport he served with aplomb for 16 years.
He was an indispensable part of the boxing intelligentsia in this country.
He was good-natured and had powerful opinions on boxing — a likeable man with the heart of a lion in the ring.
He became a world champ in the flyweight division at the age of 19 — two years younger than Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali when he won the world heavyweight belt on February 25 1964.
Tete went on to win two more world titles in two weight divisions — IBF junior bantamweight and WBO bantamweight.
His world record — 11 seconds for the successful defence of his WBO belt in Belfast — still stands.
As all people do, Zolani has passed away. No more road work, skipping ropes, sparring sessions, and no more punching of bags.
Boxing and sport in general is poorer without his presence.
His comrades — Mlandeli Tengimfene (manager), Vuyani Bungu (his former trainer), Tsholofelo Lejaka (BSA CEO), Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile (gym mate), Mandla Ntlanganiso (home boy and BSA COO), and Andile Sidinile (team Tete) — refuse to accept that he has passed on. Such was Tete’s greatness.
He is and always will remain a cathedral of loyalty and friendship to all of us in the fistic game.
Thank you for the memories, “Nomzet”.
Sowetan
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