Mourners in Zimbabwe got the fright of their lives when an apparently dead man started moving in his coffin.

Brighton Dama Zanthe had "died" after succumbing to a long illness. 

Family and friends had been paying their respects when some noticed that the 34-year-old's legs were moving as he lay in his coffin.

They were reported to have "jumped out of their skin" and run away in terror, in the belief that he had returned to haunt them.

But once they had calmed down, he was taken to a local hospital and put on a life support machine.

Fortunately there was a happy ending as he was discharged from hospital - thankfully alive - two days later.

After his surreal ordeal, Zanthe was understandably ecstatic: "I feel OK now. I don’t know what happened and I only remember being on life support. I was given another chance."