Nelson Mandela memorial sign language interpreter was a fraud, deaf community says

Updated

The sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial service was "a fake who merely flapped his arms around during speeches", South Africa's deaf community has said.

"He's a complete fraud," said Cara Loening, director of Sign Language Education and Development in Cape Town.

"He wasn't even doing anything, There was not one sign there. Nothing. He was literally flapping his arms around."

The interpreter, who translated US president Barack Obama's speech, looked as if he was "trying to swat a few flies away from his face and his head".

"The deaf community in South Africa are completely outraged and nobody knows who he is," Ms Loening said.

"We can't find a name or anything. The organisations who have accredited interpreters do not know him at all."

Attended by almost 100 sitting and former heads of state, the speeches at Mandela's memorial were supposed to be interpreted into sign language for deaf viewers.

Delphin Hlungwane, a spokeswoman for the Deaf Federation of South Africa, said the man picked for the job was "just gesturing in the air".

"He didn't interpret at all, he had zero per cent accuracy," she said.

"International people were watching it as well and they all said he was not using any kind of sign language. They all said they don't understand him."

Ms Loening said her organisation was getting mail from around the world "wondering what on earth this man was doing there".

"It's a real embarrassment. Its complete disrespect for the deaf community and for what Nelson Mandela stood for and the support which he gave toward the deaf community."

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has professed no knowledge of the man's identity, even though television footage from a party congress a year ago appears to show the same man gesticulating on a stage alongside president Jacob Zuma.

"I don't know this guy. He doesn't work for the ANC. It was a government event. Ask them," spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.

Zuma spokesman Mac Maharaj said he was checking the reports to try to determine the man's identity.

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AFP/Reuters

Topics: world-politics, human-interest, disabilities, south-africa

First posted