The victims were Kegomodicoe and Keabecoe Lekone, both 52. They were twin brothers and the owners of the Ekhayeni Lounge Bar in Bochabela, Bloemfontein. They were killed on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
According to police, the brothers were not shot inside the tavern. They were ambushed while sitting inside their charcoal-coloured Ford Ranger at the gate of a premises on Ramatsoele Street. Police received a report of a shooting in progress at about 08:51 and arrived on the scene around 09:00. Both men had gunshot wounds and were declared dead at the scene by ER24 paramedics.
A witness inside a double-storey building on the property heard gunshots from upstairs. When the witness rushed outside, they saw an African male running towards a white Chevrolet Aveo hatchback. The car sped off. Police believe there may have been two other occupants already inside the getaway vehicle.
The case is being investigated as a double murder. The Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes, Murder and Robbery Unit has launched a manhunt. No arrests have been made so far. Anyone with information is asked to contact Colonel Msokoli Bolsick on 082 466 8530 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
What the viral posts get wrong
The claim that one brother was shot four times and the other twelve times is not supported by any official police statement. Police have confirmed gunshot wounds, and one report noted that the passenger sustained multiple gunshot wounds, but the exact bullet count has not been released.
The claim that they were killed “simultaneously at the exact same time” is also not verified. Both men were shot during the same incident, but official reports do not specify the precise timing of each shot.
The claim that they were ambushed inside the tavern is false. The shooting happened inside their vehicle at the gate, not inside the business itself.
There is also no official confirmation that the twins were specifically linked to a “30% government tender” scheme. However, reporting on their background says they had a controversial business history. They were previously convicted and sentenced for defrauding the Mangaung Municipality of R130 million in 2012 and received eight-year prison sentences. They were also arrested in connection with a high-profile 2008 shooting outside their establishment and were later acquitted.
The Lekone twins were not unknown figures. They were controversial businessmen with a long history in the courts and in the public eye. That history is part of why the story spread so fast. But it does not make the viral details true.
The murder investigation is still open. The facts confirmed so far are simple: two 52-year-old brothers were shot in their vehicle at the gate of a property in Bochabela, a witness saw a man flee in a white Chevrolet Aveo, and police are still looking for the killers.
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