A small Free State town is so desperate for rain that its mayor is holding a prayer service – in Gauteng.

The service for Maluti-a-Phofung‚ a town in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District in QwaQwa which is named after the Drakensberg mountains‚ is being held on Sunday morning at the Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong‚ Ekurhuleni‚ east of Johannesburg.

The service is being attended by the Free State town’s mayor‚ Vusi Tshabalala‚ and his entire executive management. The mayor of Ekurhuleni‚ Mzwandile Masina‚ has also been invited to attend.

The Free State municipality said in a statement: “Following the dire water situation in the Free State‚ and the imminent drought in the areas around QwaQwa‚ the local government leadership have come to seek prayers and divine intervention.”