For many UK-based Deaf viewers of the Nelson Mandela service today, something didn’t seem quite right about the sign language interpreter (scroll down for video) who stood to the side of the various speakers, ‘interpreting’ what they were saying for the benefit of South Africa’s Deaf population.
The ‘interpreter’ signed in a way I’ve never seen before, a strange repetitive rhythm to his movements – his signs appearing to come in threes or fours, occasionally swinging his shoulders, as if he was signing along with an intermittent beat.
Most puzzlingly, the structure of his hand and body movements didn’t seem to change no matter what the speaker was saying.
And, in one of the most bizarre Deaf stories of recent years, it appears that there really was something wrong – because, according to prominent Deaf South Africans on Twitter, the interpreter was “a fake.”
Which, if true, means that on a day when the world saluted a man who fought oppression, a guy stood on stage and effectively oppressed another minority – Deaf people, by making a mockery of our language.
During the service, rather than remembering Mandela, many South Africans (and others from around the world) who were either Deaf, or work with Deaf people, were expressing their outrage.
Like Francois Deysel, a South African Sign Language trainer from Cape Town:
@BrunoDruchen please can someone ask the interpreter to step down from stage, it is embarrassing and making a mockery of our profession — Francois (@FrancoisDeysel) December 10, 2013
Or Wilma Nehoudt, Deaf Member of SA Parliament, World Federation of the Deaf Vice President and Deafsa National Vice Chairperson:
@ANC_KKhoza ANC linked interpreter on the stage with dep president of ANC is signing rubbish. He cannot sign. Please get him off — wilma newhoudt (@newhoudt) December 10, 2013
One of the first Brits to pick up on it was Deaf activist Alison Bryan, who tweeted:
Apparently the “interpreter” at the #MandelaMemorial is not even qualified and making up signs. Deaf people can’t understand him. — Alison Bryan (@Deaf) December 10, 2013
Apparently, a proper interpreter was in attendance, but that wasn’t the person we were seeing:
@EriksonYoung yes the lady on block on screen is an official accredited interpreter. Man on stage is not, he like just positioned himself — wilma newhoudt (@newhoudt) December 10, 2013
In further news, it appears he may have signed on stage before:
@charlie_swin @Deaf He also “interpreted” at the ANC Elective Conference in Mangaung last December. It is as if he came back with vengeance! — Braam Jordaan (@braamjordaan) December 10, 2013
Some questions come to mind: What possessed a man who supposedly can’t sign to get up there and pretend he can? Who was responsible for booking him? Does he know any sign language at all? Deaf people in South Africa will be looking for answers in the next few days.
Above all, I feel sorry for Deaf South Africans, who should have had amazing access to the service, with a top-class interpreter there on screen, but got this instead.
See also:
- ‘Fake’ interpreter signs ‘kill the boer
- Claims he suffered ‘schizophrenic episode’ during memorial
- ‘Murder’ accusation for South African Interpreter
Check out our top blogs:
- The 10 annoying habits of hearing people
- The 10 annoying habits of deaf people!
- Ten reasons why you should learn sign language
- Let’s eradicate the term ‘hearing impaired’
- Ten things you should never say to a deaf person
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Bobbie Blackson
December 10, 2013
We Deaf people picked it up in Australia too. I love watching other sign languages but I could make no linguistic sense of this man at all. A relief to know it wasn’t me! I feel for the SA Deaf people and am outraged this was allowed to happen on such an important day. I hope a thorough investigation takes place.
Ken Rose
December 11, 2013
It seems very clear that this “interpreter” was not signing in SASL nor any Sign language whatsoever. But by his repetitions ignoring what the speaker was saying, it’s very clear to me that the guy was using signing ANC Old School Hearie made-up Gang sign slogans.
Here’s the same “Terp” at the ANC’s 100th anniversary signing “Kill the Boer,” a song suggesting Genocide against the Africaaners.
You don’t have to know Zulu to get what this same guy who was standing by Obama, pretending to speak to the South African Deaf community so that they could “hear” him was saying in this video. His signs aren’t natural Sign.
I don’t know Zulu, but the captions of that video fit crude, Hearlie, made-up sign as clear as Day.
There’s got to be HELL to pay for putting this guy on stage bt the ANC. it was a clear OFFENSE against the South African Deaf Community. A great offense against the World for letting this guy pretend to serve the SA Deaf Community. An offense to every speaker who thought this guy was allowing their message abut Mandela to be heard by the SA Deaf Community.
And an offense to Manela HIMSELF!
Sally
December 11, 2013
Is it just me or does this dingbat bear an uncanny resemblance to Malema?
laurencegoodchild91
December 11, 2013
The “interpreter” in the video Ken posted above does look a lot like Julius Malema, but not so much the one in the Mandela service from the original article. I doubt it is Malema even in the one Ken posted though as he was suspended from the ANC at the time.
Gus
December 11, 2013
If, as you say, he was “signing ANC Old School Hearie made-up Gang sign slogans” then doesn’t that validate him ?
If he’s using an old style, made up in the uneducated poverty strewn Townships, method of communicating with his own people, rather than the ‘official’ language taught in schools they could never have attended ?
Just asking the question here.
yermama
December 12, 2013
http://cheezburger.com/7951243264
Dean
December 10, 2013
Don’t hire him for would cup…..
Hetty Rigg
December 10, 2013
It’s a mockery to the great man such a sham hope the deaf people get an apologie
JK
December 10, 2013
BBC iPlayer – Nelson Mandela: A Nation Remembers – see the ‘interpreter’ in action from 2:14 [UK viewers only]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b03p85f0/?t=2m14s
Hannah
December 10, 2013
It is insulting to Deaf that no one bothered to check this man’s qualifications. He must have walked up and said “I am an interpreter” and they just let him stand there. Shocking. Otherwise it would have been a really brilliant thing that they had a terp right at the front. Its has gone from being a triumph of equality to a huge public insult.
lucasnadienNadien Lucas
December 10, 2013
Mr Mandela stood for freedom and equality. This man made a mockery of Deaf people, their culture & sign language .
javi
December 11, 2013
he also stood massacres and terrorism, he is not saint my friend,,
Angela Lindsay
December 10, 2013
ANC have egg on their face – firstly, for not hiring accredited SASL-Interpreters and secondly, for their leader, President Zuma, to be booed when every other leader got cheered.
Duffy
December 10, 2013
Disgusting.
Leo Freeman
December 10, 2013
So .. Who is able to contact the producers of the funeral services, television companies, etc. to advise about using a properly qualified interpreter ? Is there a South African Deaf Society?
Sarah
December 11, 2013
He interpreted last year and a deaf member of the audience sent a video of the event to the Federation of the Deaf – who having looked at it, wrote a report and sent a complaint to the ANC. (According to CBC news) So I cannot call this a mistake under any circumstances!
Ayesha
December 13, 2013
Yes South Africa has an official deaf society, and a blind association
SammiJ
December 10, 2013
It is awful that a day of remembrance has been shawdowed by 1 man making a mockery of not just himself but Mr Mandela, his country and the deaf. Ppl can b so selfish. Let’s not 4get wat 2day was really 4 despite the actions of 1 man
emblaze
December 11, 2013
Haha Gold!
absurdist123
December 11, 2013
@emblaze, yeah I suppose sometimes you got to have a sense of humor about these things *to a degree*, but you gotta remember a lot of deaf folk loved Mr Mandela too, and having someone make up fake gibberish denied them of their chance to say goodbye to him. And thats unfair.
MK
December 11, 2013
I’m outraged. How could this man think that was okay to do that? Did he think no one would notice? He should be fined.
Sally
December 11, 2013
Based on history, it seems that it’s perfectly okay to do anything you please if you’re associated with the ANC regardless of whether people notice or not. All that’s ever forthcoming is a slap on the hand and an order to apologise then everything is hunky dory again, gets swept under the carpet and is forgotten in a flash. And they say the public booing Zuma was an embarrassment?
kristine przybylo
December 11, 2013
The fake interpreter is Not very nice ..we are Deaf to honor nelson mandela and the fake interpreter hurt our Deaf world that is very rude
Liz
December 11, 2013
VERY INSULTING TO DEAF PEOPLE IN WORLD AND HE HAS TO BE FIRED!!!!! GET RID OF HIM FOREVER AND NEVER WELCOME HIM TO DEAF CULTURE!!!
Gus
December 11, 2013
I almost hate to say this, but there’s no need to SHOUT !
Shannon M Cooley
December 11, 2013
A slap in the face – of ours, watching that “guy” making a cruel and ironic mockery out of deaf people AND the concept which Mandela has been fighting for so long – the oppression. That guy – need a real steel-toed kick up his arse. Unreal.
cookietoddo
December 11, 2013
It was a good thing he wasn’t a terrorist!!! Someone didn’t do the job checking out this guy. What if …. geeze, he broke the security.. it’s a shame with so many different presidents and officals from different countries. it would be a disasterous!
Mwine'Kabugombe
December 11, 2013
Just feeling sorry for myself and my friends who were glued on Tv screens at our work place and to be mocked. At first thought it was wind, now its completely mockery not only to us the Deaf but also our fallen Icon for he lived for equality…..
Blaine Nienaber
December 11, 2013
FFS, I can’t believe we have such dick heads in this country!
QuotingIslam
December 11, 2013
As expected of ANC folks. *munches popcorn*
Gwendolyn
December 11, 2013
Let deaf Africans hunt this fake interpreter and how to handle him in their law.Make sure to let deaf world the outcome of him!!!
Shaun Sadlier
December 11, 2013
What the hell? How they allowed that to happen?
Delena (@_IGotTheGirl_)
December 12, 2013
Anything is possible in South Africa
Rollory
December 11, 2013
This is the funniest thing I’ve seen all year.
But actually I know exactly how to translate what he was signing. It’s: “Get a hearing aid!”
Celeste
December 12, 2013
That’s pretty ignorant. Deaf and hard-of-hearing are two separate things. Many deaf people cannot use a hearing aid, it will not help them hear any better! Smh.
Duane Cope II
December 12, 2013
you’re really stupid and naive. a hearing aid doesn’t solve nothing, you’re just as bad as the guy on the video if not worse.
Might as well poke ur ears and eyes out and then tell u to learn braille since u got hands.. see how far that gets you.
Dave Dunn
December 11, 2013
Free Nelson Mandela
Free free
Free free free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
21 years in captivity
Shoes too small to fit his feet
His body abused, but his mind is still free
Are you so blind that you cannot see (that he can’t sign!)
Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
Visited the causes at the AMC
Only one man in a large army
Are you so blind that you cannot see (that he can’t sign!)
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear him
Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
21 tears in captivity
Are you so blind that you cannot see (that he can’t sign!)
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear him
Are you so dumb that you cannot speak
Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
free Nelson Mandela
Free ne;son mande;a
Free nelson mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Deborah McKauge
December 11, 2013
This is NOT A FAKE sign language. We speak different languages right? Same thing with sign language. He is interpreting in foreign language. How could you dare call this fake? Oh please!
Editor
December 11, 2013
There is only one sign language in South Africa, and he wasn’t signing it…
Hartmut
December 11, 2013
There were several sign language in the Republic of South Africa during the Apartheid years. Even there were three different manual alphabets, the British two-handed by the Whites, the American on-handed by the Indians, and the Irish one-handed by the Catholic Whites and Colored from St.Vincent school. The sign language of the black were regarded as a genuine language, unpolluted by English or Afrikaans. This sign language has been envied by white South African Deaf people, according to Deaf leader Alan Jones.
Now after the end of Apartheid, deaf folks of all races began to intermingle each other, resulting in an unified sign language.
The impostor was not even doing the sign language, used by black Zulus.
Hartmut
Hawthorne Linda MArk
December 11, 2013
So if it was not fake which sign language was he,speaking so it can be verified?
Deborah McKauge
December 11, 2013
South Africa have 11 languages so which language that Deaf Federation of South Africa are using?
Amber Abbigail Barbara
December 11, 2013
The number of signed languages in a country and the number of spoken languages aren’t the same. A sign language is it’s own language, not a spoken language in signed form. There may be 11 spoken languages in the country and one South African Sign language you can translate all of them into. There are plenty of different sign languages in the world, but not within S.A.
Hartmut
December 11, 2013
Definitely fake sign language! No question about it.
Experts here say so.
Frank Coetzee
December 11, 2013
“Government spokesperson Phumla Williams said she was unable to respond to the allegations immediately, as she did not know which department hired the man. She said she did not know about his qualifications or expertise.”
.. and this guy got to stand next to the most powerful man on earth for over 15 minutes.
Makes Guptagate look like a minor security breach!
akubiak40@gmail.com
December 11, 2013
This is disrespectful to the Deaf community in South Africa! Something needs to be done there! Deaf people need to know what is going on. There is no need for a fake interpreter that knows nothing.
David
December 11, 2013
Donna McKauge – I have seen many international sign language, and believe me many signs have similarities to other language. I have met people with so many different signs and even knew a South African who came to U.S. for college (hi Karl!) and learned his language. Even 20 years later, after seeing this man – I knew it was not South African Sign Language (SASL) but more of a repetitive crap that was made up on the spot.
I’m sending this to an old anthropologist friend of mine and see if he could make heads and tails out of what he is saying (and I bet he won’t) – he knows almost ALL sign language known to man (Dr. Simon Carmel)
david kluger
December 11, 2013
27 years
Jack Davis
December 11, 2013
I read somewhere that this guy is a friend of Jacob Zuma’s, or maybe a relative of a girlfriend of his?? It strikes me as funny, just how much Zuma resembles Homer Simpson. Maybe he gets his political and Aids advice from the Simpsons ??
Steven
December 11, 2013
Very unprofessional, even unrespectful. Shame!!
T-chilly
December 11, 2013
unbelieveable!!! ANC needs to be FIRED. The dude need to get out of the front stage. he is not a professional interpreter. I support world deaf communities and included myself-deaf. ANC made me fucking sick!!!!
ania
December 11, 2013
They will tell you it\s their dialect or it’s their way of interpreting the sign language.
The fact of the matter is that all of them are bunch of idiots and have no clue what they are doing. The entire para-government.
helenP73
December 11, 2013
I simply cannot believe what a terrible breach of security this was!! How is it that no one checked that he was a professional interpreter for the deaf??? As someone else stated thank God he wasn’t a terrorist! Obama should be outraged that they let this ‘fake’ stand up on stage with him. If it was his intention to commit a terrorist act he had the most powerful man on earth 6 inches away!!! Shocking.
RIP MR MANDELA……
Zammael
December 11, 2013
Someone on Twitter called this fiasco a “Walter Mitty” type. Hilarious.
Peggy
December 11, 2013
Well Jacob Zuma is also a fake. His own nation booed him in front of the whole world, what a circus!!!!1
Janice Schacter Lintz
December 11, 2013
This is not surprising. While South Africa may have fought racial civil rights, the attitude toward people with disabilities needs to be changed.
The Apartheid Museum, The District 6 Museum and Robben’s Island do not have effective access for people with hearing loss. I was told by all three locations that they did not have sufficient funds to implement it. Seems ironic since that was the unacceptable excuse by people who are white on why they could not provide books to children who were black.
It is time that South Africa steps into the new millennium and provide effective access for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Disability rights are civil right and are human rights.
Janice Schacter Lintz, chair, Hearing Access Program
Philip
December 11, 2013
I am ashamed of this sick Government of ours, to allow this to happen. No wonder the President gets boo’ed by his own people.
Jim Maclean
December 11, 2013
One of the greatest things about modern communications in general and the internet in particular is that those who would bully, con, browbeat or manipulate others can find themselves identified and buried under a storm of outrage from around the world at a speed which will make their head spin.
It was ironic that controversy over playing rugby with New Zealand played a significant part in the final fall of Apartheid and now this outrage by a simple con-man hired by corrupt associates of the ANC government may be a similar event in cleaning out those not fit to clean the shoes of the hero the world mourned on this day.
Nobody
December 11, 2013
>Apparently, a proper interpreter was in attendance
Article is wrong. The tweet meant the person overlaid by some news channel (The lady shown w/ blue background).
Frank Coetzee
December 12, 2013
Apparently don’t comment before you know anything.
The fake interpreter was at the stadion right next to the Presidents etc. The lady you refer to was on the television broadcast about the event and is an accredited interpreter.
Tanya Hunter
December 11, 2013
He is unqualify sign language. His signing doen’t make sense. I don’t understand this at all. This is not orignal sign language. Need prove he got cerficate for signing language for Qualify. I think he is Shame. It’s really waste of time to watching it and sore my eyes. Really waste of time to watch through and not good interpreter and none to be understanding what happening at all. Please do something with him. I think you could reject him.
Jan-Marais Sans
December 11, 2013
People, you do not understand, this is how the modern ANC treats everybody in this country, with no respect at all!
Jacob Zuma and his cabinite has plunged South Africa into a new Silent Era Of Apartheid, not only against the minority put against the poor aswell, they use the name of Nelson Mandela to blind the world from it!
There is a civil war brewing in this country, and everybody on the outside will be surprised about it. After the new ellections the ruling party will brutally clash with the rising rival (ANC vs EFF) and it will be a bloodbath, the minority will be caught in the aftermath, and soon South Africa will be worse off then Zimbabwe, and everybody outside will throw a blind eye!
Nelson Mandela had a dream, a vision, a cause, to live in a country where everybody is equal, rich or poor, black or white, able or disabled, there will be no difference, but Jacob Zuma took that dream and destroyed all hope for this country, he made this country a circus of lies, death, crime and fraud.
It is sad to say, but Nelson Mandela died in vein, he never could see his beloved South Africa becoming a true Rainbow Nation.
Nelson Mandela will be the only true ANC president, the only true leader of South Africa!
Delena (@_IGotTheGirl_)
December 12, 2013
What true words you speak. Everyone outside South Africa will throw a blind eye. And I dont understand why the stupid fools still vote for ANC. Cause Zuma does not care about them, he is only using them to get what he wants. And when South Africa is the next Zimbabwe he wont give a damn! So while all the whites are in their graves or on the heap, guess who will be laughing. THE WHITES!!!!. Because everyone in South Africa that is still there then will suffer. ZUMA is not a God, he may get to kill, but there is only one GOD. AND HE HAS THE FINAL SAY!!!
Hartmut
December 11, 2013
I agree! This impostor should be punished by 1000 hours of solitary confinement in complete silence. Only he is allowed to watch TV with the speakers taken out. And the jailers be allowed to communicate with him only in gibberish sign language, preferably deaf. This confinement be followed by 200 hours of unpaid community service under supervision of deaf people, washing, scrubbing the floors of deaf institutions with his bare hands.
Hartmut
MissAmiaSays
December 12, 2013
Disclaimer: My Profile Picture is a “Parody” Photoshop of Caroline Manzo! It’s not me! LOL!
You know; in elementary and Middle School I took: Signing Exact English, American Sign Language and studied from; ” The Joy of Signing” and I consider myself pretty good (still).
I can carry on a conversation with a deaf person. I realize and understand how important interpreters are; for this Jackhole to make a mockery out of the deaf community and Mandella — is an ultimate low of lows. I have no more words.
This story makes me angry!
Stephen
December 12, 2013
Maybe he was “booing” in sign language? Could see clearly he was signing differently to the lady in the block – we debated he may be signing in Zulu and leading to a debate about sign language in other languages? What a chop!
Andy. Not him, me.
December 12, 2013
I was one of the first to see the “fake signer” clip yesterday and at first I thought it was some mistake. I’m amazed that someone so patently incompetent could actually get within touching distance of world leaders. So much for security vetting!
While I am sympathetic to the rage and embarrassment that many people feel, I have to point out that due to the global nature of the event this has to be the all time biggest ever “prank”.
The publiciy this has generated is enormous, it is worldwide and most people are now much more aware of sign language. I think this is a golden opportunity for deaf people all over the world to now come forward and explain >publicly< why interpreters and other kinds of help are so important to us. The chance to make an important point is there, it should be taken.
I'm sure Mr Mandela would have understood. After all he had a hearing loss himself.
Frank Coetzee
December 12, 2013
“The sign language interpreter accused of using fake hand signals at former president Nelson Mandela’s memorial says he suffered a schizophrenic episode.
Thamsanqa Jantjies told the Cape Times that he was unsure whether it was the magnitude of what he was doing or the happiness he felt throughout the day that might have triggered the attack while on stage.
At a certain point during the proceedings Jantjies, who uses medication for schizophrenia, lost concentration, started hearing voices and began hallucinating.”
Ramon Woolfe
December 12, 2013
Whoa!!! With all the public outcry, one should actually look closer to home and realise how our own system are failing to filter out the inept “interpreters”.
One may look at the example at hospitals where accredited “communication professionals” are imposing on vulnerable deaf clients that they continue to assume they are true professionals of a standard with the ‘yellow’ card system. Too many are flashing their yellow cards expecting to carve their way into the system when they are either conscious or unconscious of their own standards.
To date there are so many incompetent interpreters in our own country attempting to set up their own business and performing well under par, disrespecting the language of deaf people who may be either apathetic or given no opportunity to flag up the poor service. Too often deaf patients or deaf service users meet other deaf people and complain of the lame interpreters who steal the stage and such complaints are withered down as they shrug it off as a part of ‘deaf lives’.
It is about time for organisations who accredit interpreters and communication professionals to take the issues seriously and eliminate the inefficient interpreters so we can have a true identification for these who are of a professional standard and those who have just ticked the boxes in their portfolios with lack of real experience. For too many assume that they are experts and easily convince the clients to reappoint them.
Let the outcry in South Africa be a wake up call to our own people in our own country.
Natalya (@barakta)
December 12, 2013
Absolutely at Ramon’s comment. While this case is about sign language interpretation the issues are similar for those of us using lipspeakers and palantypy.
As a new user of palantypy/STTR I have worked hard to make my request for STTR wording very clear when I ask for organisations to provide it. I will specify that I need verbatim speech to text reporting and am not happy to accept respeaking or electronic notetaking which are often substituted because they are cheaper or easier to get hold of. I also direct people to AVSTTR’s website and if necessary trusted agencies where they can get someone who knows what my instructions mean.
I am still learning what the difference between adequate STTR and excellent STTR is for me.
How much is the preparation/environment of the event and how much is the professional themselves or the clarify of my requests to them about how they work. Once I am able to articulate this I will be writing about it online for others to share.
I think one thing which is very important to get the wider world to understand is what we need and want when we ask for communication support. I’ve been on both sides as a communication support user for STTR and being the organiser of communication support (BSL, STTR and electronic notetaking) for my clients. I am not fluent in BSL so I can only go on agencies and NRCPD registration unless I am given other specific information or have met interpreters who seemed to be liked by the clients.
If we as deaf people dislike the work of an agency then say “not that agency”, if we dislike a particular communication worker then say “not X or Y”. We don’t have to apologise for being specific or say anything about the individual/agency professionalism/qualifications unless we wish to, we can simply be clear about “yes” “no”. If we have an agency we like or professionals in the area we like it’s worth recommending them in the first instance, directing hearing folk or organisations to known good communication support workers for us. The people who’s first questions to us are “How do you prefer to work?” “Do you prefer X or Y?” and if it’s early experience for deaf users how the professional assists the deaf client in knowing what the options actually are and what might be better for what.
Frank Coetzee
December 12, 2013
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/south-african-government-equal-human-rights-for-deaf-people#
Frank Coetzee
December 12, 2013
A lot of comments and complaining but yet only 3 people signed the petitition above.
if all the deaf people in the world complaining and is outraged it will be an even bigger egg in our face if almost none of them have the balls to stand up and together as one deaf community. Please…
The Bible say faith without the deed is useless so I am the doing type and not only started the petition but also officially opened a complaint at the Human Rights Commission and actively try to get as many people around the world to sign this petition in support of that.
Matt
December 12, 2013
I’m amazed at how this story has created such a storm world wide I honesty thought it was some kind of sick joke. This could be the step we have been waiting for re campaigning for change. There are so many stories showing how deaf people are basically being belittled and discriminated against. Spit the dummy for BSL ACT Facebook group is just one place where you can see even more horrific stories related to deaf issues. WELL DONE LIMPING CHICKEN YOUVE PLAYED A BLINDER!
Natalya (@barakta)
December 12, 2013
Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre DCAL have a clinical psychologist researcher who’s researched schizophrenia, deafness and sign language and she’s written a very sensible media release at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dcal/dcal-news/Mandela_Interpreter
We need to be careful that we don’t buy the “I’m mentally ill” excuse, as that is both inaccurate and demeaning to people who do live with mental illnesses who don’t behave badly and fake things and so on.
Watching fake-terp on the BBC news it didn’t look like his English was especially good either. I was intrigued that they didn’t interview him in Xhosa his allegedly native language or indeed SASL…
Shirleen
December 14, 2013
The interpreter is now claiming to have suffered a psychotic episode. He was right next to a lot of prominent people like Obama. Is this not a security risk? I do not know sign language but even I could see that he was a fraud. The ANC thinks not only South Africans, but the whole world, is so dumb that they will believe the ridiculous “I hear dead people” excuse. We all know this has to do with the enrichment of friends of the ANC. The Deaf community complained 4 different times about this man but still they use him.
Jason
December 14, 2013
U all got it wrong! He was rapping……