The drug case against soccer analyst and former Kaizer Chiefs striker Mike "Sporo" Mangena was once again postponed on Tuesday. 

The State informed the Randfontein Magistrate's Court that it had not received any direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). 

The 60-year-old Mangena and his co-accused - Morena Maqoalane, 26, William Kazipata, 34, and Kennedy Tsogolane, 24 - appeared briefly in court on Tuesday.

They are being charged with the manufacture of illegal drugs. 

In February, the case was postponed for a decision by the DPP on representations made by the defence. 

The DPP will also make a decision of whether the case would be moved to a higher court. 

However, Mangena's laywer, France Mashele, told the court the matter had been on the roll since November last year and had been postponed on several occasions.

He said the defence would now give notice in terms of Section 342(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act at the next appearance. 

"The record speaks for itself. This matter has been on the roll since 2018 November. It is my instructions, my lord, to give notice 342a in the next appearance. The matter is almost six months on the roll and nothing has [happened]. It is my submission, my lord, that the court should allow us to bring that application," Mashele told the court. 

Section 342(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act states that a court before which criminal proceedings are pending shall investigate any delay in the completion of proceedings which appears to the court to be unreasonable and which could cause substantial prejudice to the prosecution, the accused or his or her legal adviser, the State or a witness.

The case was postponed to May 28 to await a decision from the DPP. 

Mangena remains out on bail while his co-accused are in custody. 

The four men were arrested when crime intelligence officers, the Hawks and the Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit raided a smallholding registered under Mangena's name in Hillside, outside Randfontein.

The property had been under police surveillance for a while.

Police discovered a steel shed full of chemicals, and machines used to manufacture mandrax, as well as a truck containing liquid chemicals.

Mangena was then released on R50 000 bail, while his co-accused abandoned their bail applications.

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