Sporo Mangena’s ‘drug lab’ case postponed
Mangena has denied any wrongdoing, even though police said drugs were produced on the farm but not packaged on the plot.
Ke Yona Team Coach Mike Mangena during the 2016 Ke Yona Team Press Conference in Sandton Head Office. (Aubrey Kgakatsi/BackpagePix)
The case against former soccer superstar Mike “Sporo” Mangena has been postponed to April 16 to allow for a decision to be made by the director of public prosecutions (DPP) on representations made by the defence.
Mangena appeared in the Randfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. His lawyers will be requesting that the state drop the charges as they believe they does not have sufficient evidence linking Mangena to the crime, according to The Sowetan.
The DPP is also expected to make a decision on the actual court the case will be held in when they resume.
The former football commentator and Kaizer Chiefs player known to his fans as Sporo was out on R50,000 bail following his arrest on drug manufacturing charges in November last year.
The 60-year-old was arrested along with three other suspects, Morena Maqoaelane, 26, William Kazipata, 34, and Kennedy Tsogolane, 24. at the property where a Mandrax lab was found following a police raid on his farm in Hillside, Randfontein.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Lungelo Dlamini said the famous former striker was taken in by police for questioning as he owns the property on which the drug lab was found.
Dlamini added that a police crime intelligence investigation led to the raiding of the house.
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