Oom Paul making 'final journey'

2004-08-20 22:17

Marisa Phillips

Hertzogville - Oom Paul Meintjes will be on his way to Bloemfontein within hours.

Police were due to remove his body, which was in a coffin next to his widow's bed, early on Saturday morning.

This is the latest in the Hertzogville "resurrection saga" which started with Oom Paul's death 52 days ago on July 1.

His widow, Anna, and her children, son Pieter and daughter Petro Joseph, were told by Durban "prophet" David Francis that Oom Paul would rise from the dead, initially on July 29.

Accordingly, they kept him "on ice" in the local mortuary - at R250 a day - in preparation for the event.

July 29 came and went, and Oom Paul's resurrection date was shifted forward, according to the "prophet".

Meanwhile, emotions and tempers in the town started to rise, especially with other members of Oom Paul's family.

Delivered the body to the house

There were stormy scenes outside the Meintjes' house and police were called to prevent violence.

Undertaker Nico Foulds then refused to keep Oom Paul any longer as a permit to keep a body for that long had expired.

Foulds, who delivered the body to the Meintjes' home on Wednesday, said the family owed him R13 000.

They also have to pay for the coffin that was lent to them as he does not want them to return it.

He helped them put the coffin in a bedroom, next to Tant Anna's bed.

Tant Anna and the children were given 36 hours in terms of the Health Act to bury Oom Paul's body.

On Friday, they asked for an extension, but it was not granted. The plan was to remove the body at 06:00 on Saturday.

Oom Paul will be kept in the government mortuary in Bloemfontein.

His body will be released to his family only on display of proof that it is to be buried.

If not, a court will be approached to order a government interment.

The department of health said on Thursday it had intervened after a complaint by a neighbour.

The department's Tankiso Zola said it was a health risk and flouting the Health Act to keep a dead body among people in a residence.

Foulds said: "All the windows of the house are open and in the street one can smell the gases emitted by the decomposing body.

Still believe he will rise from dead

"All of them are going to become seriously ill as those gases are poisonous."

Pieter Meintjes told Volksblad on Friday the "prophet" was "in seclusion" and not talking to anybody.

He said it was going well with all of them and they still believed their father would rise from the dead.

Hertzogville residents said on Friday they hoped the saga was approaching its conclusion now.

"All of us hope there will be a funeral soon," said one man.

- Volksblad