South Africa's 'Lazarus' buried

A South African man's body has been buried after being preserved by his widow for eight weeks because a prophet predicted he would come back to life.

The owner of a funeral parlour kept Paul Meintjes' body "on ice" for weeks before returning it to the family home.

His widow then kept the body in a coffin by her bed for three days - apparently awaiting his return to life.

A Free State court ordered the burial at a cemetery in Hertzogville after officials declared a health risk.

Police officers, municipal workers and journalists were present at a brief ceremony, South African media reported.

The prediction from local prophet, David Francis, that Mr Meintjes would rise from the dead, had divided the family with his widow and two of her three children refusing to allow his body to be buried.

Police spokesman Sam Makhele told Reuters news agency that the body had still been recognisable, "but after a few days out of the fridge the smell was not OK".