Former WBO bantamweight world boxing champion Zolani "Last Born” Tete survived death by the skin of his teeth when his car was involved in a near fatal head-on collision.
Tete's Mercedes Benz collided head-on with a Chevrolet Captiva at Qumza highway in Mdantsane, East London, around 10pm on Sunday, says his traumatised manager Mlandeli Tengimfene.
“I really don’t know how this whole thing happened but I can tell you that you that looking at his car which is a wreck, Zolani and three other passengers were lucky to have survived,” said the man who has turned the left-hander from Mdantsane into a global boxing star.
Tete, whose international career is guided by UK's respected promoter Frank Warren was driving his sponsored vehicle.
Tengimfene, whose sterling job as a boxing manager earned him Boxing SA’s manager of the year award back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, said he received a call from an unknown person at night.
“He said he was given my number by Zolani whose mobile got lost during the accident, and this person said Zolani said I must rush to the scene and I drove like a maniac and arrived there at about 10.20pm,” he said .
“I just could not believe my eye when I saw his car which got thrown out of the way probably due to force when his car collided head-on with the Chev Captiva.
“Paramedics were there, busy treating Zolani. He was dazed and two of his four passengers also needed urgent attention and were rushed to Cecilia Makiwanme Hospital.
"I drove behind the ambulance until we arrived at the hospital. He went through all sorts of scans – brain scan and and spinal cord examination. I could not believe when he was cleared. In fact it is through God’s miracle that not even one bone in his body is broken and that includes his passengers.”
Tengimfene said he then alerted the car manufacturer which gave the vehicle to the boxer in 2018 about the accident. He added the car was towed away around 1am.
The boxing fraternity countrywide is waiting with a bated breath for the 33-year-old former IBF junior-bantamweight holder to make a comeback since he last fought on November 30 in 2019 when he lost the WBO belt to Johnriel Casimero in the UK.
Boxing icon Tete escapes horrific car crash
It's a miracle he's still on his feet, says manager
Image: Supplied
Former WBO bantamweight world boxing champion Zolani "Last Born” Tete survived death by the skin of his teeth when his car was involved in a near fatal head-on collision.
Tete's Mercedes Benz collided head-on with a Chevrolet Captiva at Qumza highway in Mdantsane, East London, around 10pm on Sunday, says his traumatised manager Mlandeli Tengimfene.
“I really don’t know how this whole thing happened but I can tell you that you that looking at his car which is a wreck, Zolani and three other passengers were lucky to have survived,” said the man who has turned the left-hander from Mdantsane into a global boxing star.
Tete, whose international career is guided by UK's respected promoter Frank Warren was driving his sponsored vehicle.
Tengimfene, whose sterling job as a boxing manager earned him Boxing SA’s manager of the year award back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, said he received a call from an unknown person at night.
“He said he was given my number by Zolani whose mobile got lost during the accident, and this person said Zolani said I must rush to the scene and I drove like a maniac and arrived there at about 10.20pm,” he said .
“I just could not believe my eye when I saw his car which got thrown out of the way probably due to force when his car collided head-on with the Chev Captiva.
“Paramedics were there, busy treating Zolani. He was dazed and two of his four passengers also needed urgent attention and were rushed to Cecilia Makiwanme Hospital.
"I drove behind the ambulance until we arrived at the hospital. He went through all sorts of scans – brain scan and and spinal cord examination. I could not believe when he was cleared. In fact it is through God’s miracle that not even one bone in his body is broken and that includes his passengers.”
Tengimfene said he then alerted the car manufacturer which gave the vehicle to the boxer in 2018 about the accident. He added the car was towed away around 1am.
The boxing fraternity countrywide is waiting with a bated breath for the 33-year-old former IBF junior-bantamweight holder to make a comeback since he last fought on November 30 in 2019 when he lost the WBO belt to Johnriel Casimero in the UK.
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