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Interpreter at Mandela Service Said to Be an Impostor Interpreter at Memorial Service Said to Have Been an Impostor
(about 3 hours later)
QUNU, South Africa — He stood with a deadpan expression just inches from President Obama and other world leaders speaking at Nelson Mandela’s memorial, dressed in a dark suit and blue security lanyard with the words “state funeral,” draped around his neck, flapping his arms and gesticulating in what was supposed to be sign language for the hearing-impaired. QUNU, South Africa — He stood with a deadpan expression just inches from President Obama and other world leaders speaking at Nelson Mandela’s memorial, dressed in a dark suit, with a blue security lanyard bearing the words “state funeral” draped around his neck, flapping his arms and gesticulating in what was supposed to be sign language for the deaf.
The man was a fraud, sign-language experts said Wednesday, expressing outrage that an impostor who clearly was illiterate in the linguistic skills of signing could have pulled off such a stunt. He was a constant presence on the stage of the memorial on Tuesday, watched not only by the audience in the 93,000 seat soccer stadium in Soweto but by hundreds of millions on television. The man was a fraud, sign-language experts said Wednesday, expressing outrage that an impostor who was clearly illiterate in the linguistic skills of signing could have pulled off such a stunt. He was a constant presence on the stage of the memorial on Tuesday, watched not only by the audience in the 93,000-seat soccer stadium in Soweto but by hundreds of millions on television.
More than 24 hours later, the South African government was still at a loss to explain how the impostor, whose identity remained a mystery, had not only breached security checks but even got the sign-language job. More than 24 hours later, the South African government was still at a loss to explain how the impostor, whose identity remained a mystery, had not only breached security checks but had even gotten the job.
“This ‘fake interpreter’ has made a mockery of South African Sign Language and has disgraced the South African Sign Language interpreting profession,” said Bruno Druchen, the national director of DeafSA, an advocacy organization for the hearing-impaired in Johannesburg. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Mr. Druchen said that the “deaf community is in outrage.” “This ‘fake interpreter’ has made a mockery of South African sign language and has disgraced the South African sign language-interpreting profession,” said Bruno Druchen, the national director of DeafSA, a Johannesburg advocacy organization for the deaf. In a statement posted on the organization’s Facebook page, Mr. Druchen said, “The deaf community is in outrage.”
The national embarrassment over the fraudulent interpreter was only one of a number of things that seemed to go wrong in the government’s organization and management of the memorial event, adding to the perception of sloppiness and haste in preparations following Mr. Mandela’s death last week. Many South Africans who had wanted to go complained that public transportation had failed, with buses that never arrived. The national embarrassment over the fraudulent interpreter was only one of a number of things that seemed to go wrong in the government’s organization and management of the memorial event, adding to the perception of sloppiness and haste in preparations following Mr. Mandela’s death last week. Many South Africans who had wanted to attend complained that public transportation had failed, with buses that never arrived.
Further fouling the aftermath of Mr. Mandela’s death was the news reported on Wednesday that burglars had broken into the Cape Town home of another revered figure in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The Cape Times newspaper said the burglary took place while he was attending the memorial service. The aftermath of Mr. Mandela’s death was also befouled by news reports on Wednesday that burglars had broken into the Cape Town home of another revered figure in South Africa’s antiapartheid struggle, the Nobel laureate Desmond M. Tutu. The burglary took place while he was attending the memorial service, according to the newspaper Cape Times.
Mr. Druchen’s statement punched many holes in the sign-language interpreter’s credibility.Mr. Druchen’s statement punched many holes in the sign-language interpreter’s credibility.
He did not, for instance, use the established signs for Mr. Mandela or President Jacob Zuma. His hand shapes were meaningless. He failed to use facial expressions, head movement, shoulder-raising and other body language that are integral elements of signing. He did not, for instance, use the established signs for Mr. Mandela or President Jacob Zuma. His hand shapes were meaningless. He failed to use facial expressions, head movement, shoulder-raising or other body language considered integral elements of signing.
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“It is a total mockery of the language,” the statement said.“It is a total mockery of the language,” the statement said.