Rocks, burning tyres and other debris were scattered in the streets of Marlboro as residents protested against housing delivery.
Old Pretoria Main Road was blockaded early yesterday as were several side streets while metro police officers battled to douse the flames and dozens of angry protesters gathered.
Protest organiser Thabo Modisane, of the Anti-Privatisation Forum, said the protesters were all residents of factory buildings in the Marlboro industrial area bordering on Alexandra.
The residents were angry about "lack of delivery of housing, and empty promises".
Modisane said the people all rented space in buildings which were being bought up by the Alexandra Renewal Project. The project officials would then institute eviction proceedings.
"They buy these buildings from property owners. They know that there are sometimes more than 40 people living in one building, but they evict them and put them in the streets," Modisane said.
"They give the people no alternative, and this is stressing them because it happens every two months."
Scores of people gathered in the streets as the police and metro officials maintained a heavy and watchful presence to ensure a state of calm. By late morning, peace had returned, although the atmosphere remained tense.
The angry protesters called for ANC president Jacob Zuma and Gauteng Housing MEC Nomvula Mokonyane to address them. Other protesters pointed to a nearby block of flats, described the accommodation as unaffordable and threatened to take over the building by force.
The protesters threatened to continue their action for days if necessary.
"We will stay here until we are heard," said Thuli Tshabalala, who occupies one of the factory buildings and pays R500 rent each month.
Another woman, who did not want to be named, said she was fearful of evictions as she had nowhere else to go. Her children attend school locally, so she cannot relocate.
"Our babies are always getting sick with pneumonia because it is so dirty here," said another mother.
Mokonyane's spokesperson Aviva Manqa said the MEC was aware of the protests, but insisted that her department's doors "are wide open for engagement with communities and civil society in general".
"It's just unfortunate that people instead turn to violence, intimidation, damage to property and unnecessary disturbance of peace," Manqa said.
"We are not surprised by the recent increase in the number of violent protests in Gauteng," Manqa said, adding that the department had communicated plans for developments in Alexandra to the community earlier in the year.
He said elections were also approaching and people aware of new developments were now anxious to jump the queue.