/ 17 August 2004

Ultimatum issued to resurrection family

The body of a Free State man whose resurrection was predicted by a ”prophet” after his death six weeks ago is on its way to a state mortuary, if a local undertaker gets his way.

Nico Foulds, the undertaker, said on Tuesday he met the family of the late Paul Meintjes of Hertzogville after a protest on Monday by some disgruntled family members and town residents in front of the Meintjes home.

”I asked them to remove the body to a state mortuary by noon on Wednesday if they want to go on with this,” said Foulds.

He met with the family and their prophet on Tuesday.

”They still think he [Meintjes] will rise from the dead. I feel sorry for them,” Foulds said.

Foulds did not know where the nearest state mortuary was but he thought Hoopstad had one.

Meintjes’s body has been kept frozen at Foulds’s premises since July 1 after a family prophet had predicted that he would rise from the dead.

The family has been waiting ever since but no resurrection has so far occurred.

Foulds said the protest on Monday was to point out to the family that their ”prophet” is a liar.

”Nothing came from all the predictions so far, but the family still believes him,” said Foulds. — Sapa