Thirsty residents of Muhuyu outside Thohoyandou who have been hard hit by the drought and with no water in their area are heaving a sigh of relief.

For a long time now the residents have been suffering, waiting for a water tanker that came sometimes once a month to supply them with water. Residents in the area have to carry wheelbarrows for up to four kilometres to go and buy water at a neighbouring village.

This dire situation can soon be history.

Five residents, who are members of the royal family, have joined forces with the local traditional leader, Chief Vho-Muthungaapfe Tshivhase, and are now supplying water from their own boreholes to the community, free of charge.

Vhavenda Vho-Mmberegeni Tshivhase and Vho-Khotsimunene Vho-Mmbangiseni Tshivhase have offered their boreholes, while Maano Tshivhase, Rendani Naledzani and Lydia Tshisikhawe have offered to foot the electricity bills until such time that the situation improves.

During a launch held at the chief's palace at Muhuyu, Chief Muthungaapfe Tshivhase said the water shortage had reached a crisis point in the area. "Government promised us water by July last year, but nothing has happened so far. We could not just sit and pretend that nothing was happening, and when the Khotsimunene came with the idea, we did not think twice but embraced it with both arms. We are starting small and this is the reason we did not inform our senior chief, Mailausumbwa Kennedy Tshivhase."

He added that they they would go out and seek sponsorships and implement the project for the whole village and "that is when we will go to Mukumbani and tell our seniors of what we are doing," he said.

Tshivhase said they had many developmental plans in the area. "We will follow our year plan and this we will do for the benefit of our community and for development in our village," he said.