Thirty-five people appeared in the Ogies Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for public violence, SABC radio news reported.
The case was postponed to next week for further investigation.
Five people were released due to insufficient evidence.
Phola residents protested this week because the local mine, Klipspruit Collery, was not employing locals.
The entrance to the township near Ogies in Mpumalanga was barricaded with rocks, burning tyres and metal, and a minibus taxi was set alight. - Sapa