Two men accused of playing central roles in the murder of former boxing world champion Zolani Tete have been denied bail by the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape.
Uzuzole Goqwana, 22, who the state alleges was the mastermind behind the killing, and Sinebhongo Qase, 28, who is accused of acting as an intermediary, appeared in court on Friday, 18 September 2026.
The pair are among four men facing eight charges arising from Tete’s killing and the attempted murder of another person during the shooting.
Court rejects bail applications
The court’s decision followed weeks of bail proceedings in which the prosecution and defence presented competing arguments about the strength of the state’s case, the circumstances of the accused and the interests of justice.
Goqwana had argued that his physical condition and need for ongoing medical assistance amounted to exceptional circumstances that should justify his release.
Magistrate Anton Pretorius rejected that argument, saying that a circumstance favourable to an accused does not automatically qualify as exceptional for purposes of bail.
The court also considered concerns about Goqwana’s medical care while in custody. Pretorius noted that St Albans Correctional Centre in Gqeberha has a hospital section and said there was no medical evidence before the court establishing that the facility could not adequately deal with Goqwana’s needs.
What the state alleges happened
Tete, 38, was shot dead on 21 August 2026 outside his home in NU17, Mdantsane.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the state alleges that the murder was premeditated and falls under Schedule 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The prosecution’s case is that Goqwana allegedly arranged the killing, with Qase allegedly acting as the link between him and the two men accused of carrying out the shooting.
Those two men are Siphesihle Kolisa, 28, and Athandwa Gangala, 27.
Kolisa and Gangala were arrested shortly after Tete’s death, with police recovering firearms and ammunition during their arrest in Scenery Park, KuGompo City. Both subsequently abandoned their bail applications.
New ballistics evidence entered the case
The bail proceedings were complicated by the introduction of a ballistics report concerning firearms seized when Kolisa and Gangala were arrested.
The prosecution told the court that ballistic testing had positively linked the firearms to Tete’s murder.
The defence objected to the report, arguing that the state had effectively concluded its case and should not be allowed to introduce new evidence at that stage of the bail proceedings.
Goqwana’s lawyer, Ayabonga Kampi, also questioned whether the report directly connected his client to the firearms or ammunition.
Qase’s lawyer, Asanda Phakade, similarly challenged the manner in which the evidence was introduced.
The state disputed the defence’s objections and argued that the report was relevant to the interests of justice and could be considered because the bail proceedings had not yet concluded.
The alleged motive
A central part of the state’s case concerns an alleged dispute dating back to July 2025.
Investigating officer Warrant Officer Nkululeko Mtati’s affidavit reportedly links Goqwana to the murder through an alleged belief that Tete was responsible for a shooting that left Goqwana paralysed and dependent on a wheelchair.
The state alleges that Goqwana believed Tete had arranged the attack because of his alleged relationship with Tete’s estranged wife, Thulisa.
The allegation has been disputed, and the defence has challenged the evidence linking Goqwana to the murder. The allegations have not been tested at trial.
Three children were in the car
Tete was shot while three children were travelling with him.
According to court reporting, the children were not physically injured, but Tete’s eight-year-old son was in the vehicle when the shooting happened and has continued to experience trauma following the incident.
Tete’s father, Zolile Tete, said after Friday’s bail ruling that he had forgiven those accused of killing his son.
He said holding onto anger would not bring Tete back, although he acknowledged the continued pain experienced by the family.
Who was Zolani Tete?
Tete was one of South Africa’s most accomplished professional boxers and competed under the nickname “Last Born”.
Born and raised in Mdantsane, he won the vacant IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 after defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe.
In 2017, he became a two-division world champion when he won the WBO bantamweight title.
That same year, Tete set a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world-title fight when he stopped fellow South African Siboniso Gonya after just 11 seconds in Belfast.
He later lost the WBO title to Filipino boxer John Riel Casimero in 2019.
Tete’s death therefore brought an end to the life and career of a boxer who had risen from Mdantsane to become a world champion on the international stage.
The case now moves forward
The denial of bail does not amount to a finding of guilt. Goqwana and Qase remain accused persons and will have the opportunity to contest the charges against them through the criminal trial process.
The two alleged hitmen, Kolisa and Gangala, remain in custody after abandoning their bail applications. The NPA said the four accused face charges including murder, premeditated murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The case remains before the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court as investigators and prosecutors continue with proceedings arising from Tete’s killing.
