Ms Melissa Moore, SA citizen living in the UK, launched the Crowdfunding campaign to raise £20 000 for the family to rebuild their lives.

Meanwhile, Ms Selina Naidoo, who’ve been living on the smallholding for 35-years, told the Middelburg Observer on Wednesday that she fired TPM Goma Attorneys, and rehired Lingeffelder & Baloyi Attorneys, after the former failed to file papers to appeal the eviction order before the August 2015 deadline.

The order was consequently granted in September, and the Naidoo family served with final notice of eviction in January 2016.

Ms Naidoo’s appeal to have the eviction order overturned, was submitted to the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday. She’s further petitioning for a full bench of judges to rule on the matter. The provincial Department of Land Affairs will foot the bill.

The order was obtained by the property owner, FTS Investments, who plan to construct a truck stop for the company’s coal haulage fleet.

Shortly after the family of 21 was ordered off the property, the homestead in which she had raised her children and grandchildren the past 35-years, were immediately bulldozed.

Heaps of rubble, which used to be her home, was still visible on the property this week.

Since the family’s eviction the department of land affairs as well as the institute for constitutional development, visited the family who’ve been living in four tents, three of which was supplied by the municipality, and a fourth by Mr Gerrie Gerrits of Pienaard Dam.

Hoërskool Middelburg also supplied the family with a generator, while a number of residents daily supply food and other necessities to the Naidoos.

Ms Naidoo that she has accumulated R48 000 in legal costs since the start of the battle with FTS Investments, which she is also now compelled to pay.

Due to the cost order against her, most of her personal property was seized by the sheriff and an auction will be held on 28 February to recover the fees.

Apart from her appeal against the eviction, which she is adamant she will win, she also requests a full bench of judges to put a freeze on the auction, and halt any further construction on the property.

“The sheriff simply walked in, told us to get out, took my cows and my furniture and dumped us on the street,” Ms Naidoo told the paper, adding that she lost the property due to a shortfall of R20 000 on the mortgage of the property.

“The property was put on auction, sold and resold to the present owners,” Ms Naidoo said.

The Naidoos are now residing on municipal land, and accuses FTS Investments of “stealing” her smallholding at a bargain auction price, in order to avoid the municipal going rate for zoned industrial land.

Around 30 EFF members have been blocking the entrance to the smallholding, and gravel roads leading to the construction site, since Tuesday in an effort to stop further development until the matter is resolved in court.

The municipality offered to relocate the family of 21 to Somaphepa Village where there is water and electricity.

Ms Naidoo however declined the offer, insisting that all of her children work in the direct vicinity of the smallholding and that her grandchildren goes to schools in the area.

“We identified Somaphepa Village because of the school and boardinghouses available to the children, while the adults look for acceptable accommodation, until then the municipality would supply tents and support the family the best we can,” acting Municipal Manager, Mr Mandla Mnguni, told the Observer on Wednesday.

He said that the municipality cannot force the Naidoos to relocate, but that the current situation presents a number of hazards like veld fires, pollution and health issues.

“We are going to win, we are getting back our land and the greedy who conned us out of our homes, will rebuild them,” Ms Naidoo maintains triumphantly.

• Go to www.mobserver.co.za to view the Crowdfunding video, compiled by South African Melissa Moore living in the UK, alongside Middelburg Observer videos depicting the family’s dire circumstances.