WeeklySA_AdminPROCEEDINGS: The slain Bloemfontein businessmen will be buried on Sunday, with their funeral service moved to their family home after disagreements over two proposed venues…
By Mpikeleni Duma
The Lekone twins, Kegomodicoe and Keabecoe, will be laid to rest in Bloemfontein on Sunday, following disagreements over the venue for their funeral service.
What was intended to be a farewell at a public sports ground became a difficult search for a suitable venue, with reported business rivalries and the history surrounding two proposed locations complicating arrangements.
The 52-year-old brothers, whose business interests included Ekhayeni Entertainment Lodge, were shot dead in Bochabela, Bloemfontein, on October 21. Their deaths renewed attention to their commercial dealings, political connections and involvement in past criminal proceedings.
The twins were prominent but controversial figures in Mangaung’s business circles. They had faced prosecution in a major municipal fraud case and were acquitted in a separate case concerning the murder of police officer Lehlohonolo Seqhee. Their killing has prompted fresh scrutiny of longstanding disputes surrounding their business interests.
The funeral service was initially scheduled for the Old Grey Sports Ground. However, the funeral’s financial backers reportedly objected because of a business rivalry involving the venue’s owner.
Organisers then considered Ekhayeni Entertainment Lodge, but that option also presented complications. The lodge has long featured in disputes involving business relationships and influence in Bloemfontein.
The late Noby Ngombane, an ANC stalwart who served as chief of staff in the Free State government, is described by friends as a driving force behind its establishment.
It was conceived as an exclusive gathering place for the city’s wealthy and influential — Lekgotla la batho ba maemo.
After abandoning both options, organisers settled on 50 Sonnebloem Street in Heidedaal, the family home where the twins grew up.
For their mother, Ousi Xoliswa Ngalo, the address holds memories of a daily ritual. She says her sons visited her at 10 o’clock every day unless they were out of town.
Holding the service at the family home gives their farewell a deeply personal dimension: the brothers will be mourned at the place where their mother welcomed them and came to know the reassuring rhythm of their visits.
The twins were killed at premises associated with Ekhayeni Entertainment Lodge. The gunmen fled after the attack. According to information supplied for this report, no arrests have been made, and police are continuing their search for the suspects.
Speaking to family friends at her Bloemfontein home, Xoliswa recalled a disturbing premonition about her sons’ safety. She said she had feared they would come under attack at the lodge after December 2026.
The brothers had earmarked December 4, 2026, for the lodge’s reopening. According to the family, the property stands on the ancestral homestead of their maternal grandfather, Ntate Ngalo.
Xoliswa said she had experienced an overwhelming feeling that she would lose her children shortly after the planned reopening. Her account reflects her personal fears; the motive for the killings remains under investigation.
“I didn’t know what my children were doing. As a mother, I would always insist that they do things according to the law and respect elderly people,” she said.
The grieving mother also said she would not attend court proceedings if suspects were eventually arrested, regardless of how much time had passed.
“Should the suspects be arrested at a later stage, I will not attend their trial. I am going to stay at home,” Xoliswa said.
For now, the family is preparing to bury the brothers at the end of a difficult period of mourning and funeral arrangements, while police continue investigating their deaths.
