More than a year after Thulisa Tete and Uzuzole Goqwana were shot outside a Mdantsane tavern, the unresolved 2025 shooting has resurfaced in court as part of the case surrounding the murder of former world boxing champion Zolani Tete.

Thulisa, who survived the shooting, has now spoken publicly about the attack and her frustration over the lack of answers. Goqwana, who was left paralysed from the waist down after being shot, is now accused by the State of being the mastermind behind Zolani Tete’s murder.

At the centre of Goqwana’s bail application is his claim that the two incidents are connected.

Thulisa and Goqwana were shot outside Shampiz Tavern on 13 July 2025. Thulisa survived, while Goqwana sustained a spinal injury that left him paraplegic and dependent on a wheelchair. According to reports, the shooting remains unresolved. No arrests have been made in connection with the attack, and a case involving two counts of attempted murder remains open at Vulindlela police station.

Thulisa recently broke her silence about the shooting, saying she had remained quiet while trusting that the justice system would deal with the matter. She said she was still waiting for answers and described how the attack had affected her sense of safety and her relationships with Goqwana and their families. The unresolved case has now become an important part of the narrative surrounding the events that followed.

Uzuzole , 22, is currently facing charges in connection with Zolani Tete’s murder. The State alleges that he masterminded the killing. During his bail application, however, Goqwana presented a different version of events. In an affidavit read in the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court, he alleged that Tete had been responsible for the July 2025 shooting that left him paralysed.

Goqwana claimed that he had been in a romantic relationship with Tete’s estranged wife, Thulisa, and that Tete had become aware of the relationship. He alleged that Tete had previously threatened him and that he believed the shooting was connected to their relationship. These allegations are part of Goqwana’s defence presented during bail proceedings and have not been proven in court.

There is also a significant contradiction in the case. According to Daily Dispatch, the investigating officer told the court that the investigation into the 2025 shooting had uncovered “not a single clue or evidence” identifying who was responsible. The officer also said Goqwana’s allegation that Tete had engineered the attack was not supported by evidence.

On 21 August 2026, just over a year after the tavern shooting, Zolani Tete was shot dead outside his home in NU17, Mdantsane. A woman who was with him was also wounded in the attack. The National Prosecuting Authority later confirmed the arrests of four people in connection with the murder, including Goqwana, whom the State describes as the alleged mastermind.

The other accused are Siphesihle Kolisa and Athandwa Gangala, who are alleged to have carried out the shooting, and Sinebhongo Qase, who the State alleges acted as an intermediary. Uzuzole  has denied responsibility for Zolani’s murder and has indicated that he intends to plead not guilty.

The State, meanwhile, alleges that Tete’s murder was premeditated and that Uzuzole played a central role in the alleged plot. The July 2025 shooting has become significant because of the explanation Uzuzole has given for his alleged involvement in the events surrounding Tete’s death. His affidavit effectively places the unresolved shooting at the centre of his account of the relationship between himself and Zolani.

According to court reporting,Uzuzole told the court that he believed Zolani had arranged the shooting that left him paralysed. The State’s investigating officer disputed that account, saying the investigation had not produced evidence linking Zolani to the attack.

That distinction is important because the July 2025 shooting remains an unresolved criminal investigation. It would therefore be inaccurate to present Goqwana’s allegation as an established fact.

Thulisa has now publicly expressed her frustration over the handling of the 2025 case. Her account adds another dimension to a case that has since become intertwined with the death of her estranged husband.

Zolani and Thulisa married in 2018 and later separated, but remained legally married. Their relationship and Goqwana’s alleged relationship with Thulisa have subsequently featured in the court proceedings surrounding Tete’s death.

More than a year later, there has still been no arrest in that case. Meanwhile, the man who was shot alongside her is now before the courts accused of playing a central role in the killing of her estranged husband. The two cases are now connected in court proceedings, but the circumstances surrounding the 2025 shooting remain unresolved.

Related Story: Former Two-Weight World Champion Zolani Tete Shot Dead In Mdantsane