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HIGHLIGHT OF CORRIE'S CAREER: Corrie Sanders celebrates with the WBO heavyweight champion's belt after beating title defender Ukraine's Vladimir Klitschko in the second round of their WBO title bout, March 2003. © AFP.

ALSO MURDERED: Champion Mzukisi Sikali was stabbed to death by thugs in 2005. Pic: Raymond Preston.

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Sanders was shot and killed in an armed robbery at a restaurant.

The shooting took place in Brits, near Pretoria, at a 21st birthday function for a family member on Saturday.

Sanders was wounded in the stomach and hand. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his wounds in the early hours of Sunday.

Corrie Sanders' second-round TKO win against Vladimir Klitschko on March 8, 2003 is one of the best-ever performances by a South African boxer.

Klitschko was considered the heir apparent to the great Lennox Lewis so Sanders' win was a great achievement, especially as Klitschko is back at the top again.

When the boxing websitepound4pound.com recently recalled Sanders' career, he was asked to describe his feeling of becoming champion of the world. Sanders replied: "It's the third best thing that happened to me in my life. The first and the second greatest things are my daughter and my son".

Tributes to Sanders have been pouring in on radio and on Twitter, as the boxing fraternity and the public hear of the shocking news.

Sports journalist Neal Collins says on his blog that Sanders was the victim of a random shooting when three armed men raided the restaurant at Thatch Haven Country Lodge, just off Carel de Wet Road near Brits outside Pretoria.

He died after emergency surgery at Kalafong Hospital.

"Corrie didn't try anything heroic, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They shot him in the stomach. There was also a wound in his arm," an eyewitness told Collins.

"We were at Thatch Haven near Brits to celebrate with Corrie’s brother Mike. His son, also Mike, is 21 next week.

"There were 48 people at the restaurant, it’s just off the main road. We arrived at around 4pm on Saturday. At about 6pm, as it was getting dark, Mike gave a speech. Then the grandfather stood up and offered a prayer.

"That’s when we heard three or four shots. At first we thought it was the kids playing around. Then we realised it was serious.

"There were three of them. Armed with pistols. They were telling everyone to lie down and give them their wallets and mobile phones. They didn’t take much. They were working their way through the room when a car alarm went off outside and they panicked and ran.

"Corrie was the only one shot. He didn’t try anything heroic as far as I could see. He was just in the wrong place, by the entrance. They shot him through the stomach and I also saw a wound in his arm, it might have been from the same bullet, which went right through him.

"I think they shot him as a lesson to the rest of us, to say they were serious."

Olympic swimming champion Roland Schoeman expressed his shock on Twitter, saying "Can't describe in words how sad I am to hear about the senseless murder of my friend Corrie Sanders. RIP".

Recent Olympic gold medallist Cameron van der Burg, who along with Schoeman also hails from Pretoria - as did Sanders - said: “Rest in peace Corrie. A champion of the world”.

Former Springbok captain John Smith in London tweeted: "Just woke up to news of Corrie Sanders having been murdered last night, what another senseless waste of life in SA. RIP Champion".

Springbok rugby player Breyton Paulse tweeted “Gone too soon” while ex-Proteas cricketer Pat Symcox said: "Feel sick to the core. Just so damn angry over Corrie's murder. A helpless feeling and one that wants to scream out".

Former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates star Mark Fish said: "So sad to hear about the tragic death of SA boxing great and a true gentleman Corrie Sanders. Condolences to all his family".

Sports reporter David Isaacson said: "Trainer Harold Volbrecht had a small gym: Corrie and Msukisi Sikali were stable-mates and world champs together. Both murdered. Shocking". Three-time world champ Sikali was killed in a stabbing in Uitenhage in 2005. He died for his cellphone.

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Comments

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Wed May 22 04:35:02 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 23, 2012

Julz

Very sad. Condolences to Corrie's family and friends
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Sep 23, 2012

1tsotsi

M lost for words, for how long are we going to lose innocent inspiring lives? For how long must we let criminals run SA? May his soul rest in peace.
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Sep 23, 2012

rahima

The ANCpf cannot control the criminals because they are all criminals!
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Sep 23, 2012

What-the-heck

This is so, so, so scary! The criminals are doing whatever they wish. Last night at 2:30 am a family member of mine, on vacation in KZN was attacked and is currently in hospital where he's being sewn up after being stabbed 19 with a knife. When they ask me if I believe that violent crime is subsiding (according to stats released this week), I say NO. We are being lied to!
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Sep 23, 2012

9janavy

My condolences to the boxer's family.

USDVLP please hurry up and grant me my GC so i can get out of here by 2013.This sh!t is getting worse day by day.I have being on a self imposed curfew for the past 3 years, 8a.m to 6p.m tops.After that all burglar doors locked,motion detectors on.No late night outings, clubbing,partying or driving. Also no visitors after 6p.m,the same goes for weekends.
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Sep 23, 2012

Bebesocs

CURSED CURSED CURSED. May his soul rest in peace we will not forget you. SOUTH AFRICA you need to change.
In south africa you cannot send a thief to catch another thief, so we need to change.
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Sep 23, 2012

somaartakeit

The violent barbaric criminals prolly are calling Nathi's bluff, didn't he say there was a reduction in violent crime? I knew that he was lying, he said that to justify his incompetent self, cause if the criminals have reduced their violent criminal tendencies police have just upped theirs hence the massacre and Nathi and the anc regime have blood of the miners in their hands, no amount of massaging stats will change the facts which are glaring at all of us.

RIP Corrie.
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Sep 23, 2012

Kitsoboswa

No words to describe this. God Please help this nation. To the family may God be with you through this trying time.
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Sep 23, 2012

04pandemonium

Our nation is such a disgrace! Thugs whether locals or illegals who enter our boarders without hustles walk the streets freely with guns... The popo and our joke of a government couldn't care less!
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Sep 23, 2012

piet

@ all

ur just talking crap here. when police react ,they are taped and reported to be harasing the public ,then when they relax you cry that police ar useless

not longtime ago u wer baying police heads in marikana, so whats the use of police actualy

tooo much freedom & rights in s.a,even criminals have rights , arrested then be free again.dats how s.a sucks,samthing like this in swazil.lesotho,zimb wont hapen to take police as nothing.in this time i remember the old regime government of NP

anyway, sorry,its anger,i must go for anger management

rest in peace corrie
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