Two residents of an Ekurhuleni municipality building where evections that were being carried out led to the torching of a home affairs office appeared in court on Thursday for charges related to the violence that broke out on that day.

Pharoe Park flat residents Malwande Tukula, 30, and Mandisa Mboxwana, 64, appeared at the Germiston magistrate’s court for public violence and tampering, damaging or destroying of essential infrastructure or colluding with or assisting another person to do so.

Allegations are that they burnt tyres and blocked roads.

They were arrested on Tuesday during the violent protest by residents of Pharoe Park when they were being evicted for allegedly not paying rent to Ekurhuleni municipality for years. According to the municipality, it served the residents eviction notices as they owed about R200m.

The community blockaded the road with rocks and burning tyres before they were dispersed by police with rubber bullets.

According to the state, the two were arrested after they were seen participating in public violence.

The case was postponed to August 19 for formal bail application.

Prosecutor Verushka Vallabh said the state will be opposing bail.

“At this stage bail is opposed. Attached to the charge sheet is a request that the accused be kept at Germiston police cells and not taken to Sun City prison due to the fact that the accused have agreed to assist with the investigations,” she said.

Two other suspects accused of torching the home affairs building will appear in the same court on charges of arson.

Speaking outside the torched home affairs building on Tuesday, provincial manager Mamokubung Moroke said people’s documents were safe and the department was deploying mobile units to helps clients.

“The first floor of the leased building is totally damaged, while the ground floor, where clients are assisted, suffered severe water damage. All we are certain of is that people’s IDs and passports are in safe storage,” she said.

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