A piece of land has been earmarked for the relocation of a Mpumalanga family that has been living in a community hall for close to three years.

Last week, the Land Claims Court in Randburg prevented the Mkhondo local municipality from evicting the Hadebe family from Entombe community hall, in a village outside Piet Retief. The court ordered Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti and the department's director-general Mduduzi Shabane - who are first and second respondents in the matter respectively- to find alternative land for the family.

In 2012 the Hadebes, who are a family of 30, were forcibly evicted from the Donkerhoek farm where they had lived for many years. Some of their relatives are buried there.

They have been living under inhumane conditions at the hall.

The provincial department of human settlements and the Mkhondo municipality are also respondents in the matter.

They are third and fourth respondents respectively.

The order granted on April 22 reads in part: "The third and fourth respondents are ordered to immediately provide the applicants and their families with suitable alternative land and accommodation as envisaged in the housing code. The parties agree to conduct a formal inspection in loco at Entombe village at portions six and seven of the farm Donkerhoek on 18 May 2015 ..."

Although Nkwinti and Shabane sought relief, the court ruled that they should submit their written offers to the family's attorney in which they should set out the "exact description of the alternative land offered by May 8".

The Hadebes have until May 25 to respond to the offer. The court registrar said the applicants and their families had found themselves "in housing conditions that constitute a housing emergency ..."

The court also ordered that Nkwinti and Shabane pay "wasted costs of the proceedings" of April 22.