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| Interpreter at Mandela Memorial Says He Saw ‘Angels’ | Interpreter at Mandela Memorial Says He Saw ‘Angels’ |
| (about 1 hour 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 service, dressed in a dark suit, with a blue security lanyard bearing the words “state funeral” draped around his neck, gesticulating in what was supposed to be sign language for the deaf. | QUNU, South Africa — He stood with a deadpan expression just inches from President Obama and other world leaders speaking at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, dressed in a dark suit, with a blue security lanyard bearing the words “state funeral” draped around his neck, gesticulating in what was supposed to be sign language for the deaf. |
| But on Thursday, the bizarre story of the supposed interpreter, identified as Thamsanqa Jantjie, who is accused by sign-language experts of being a fraud, took a yet stranger turn. In a series of interviews, he said that he suffered from schizophrenia and that he had visions of angels while he was supposed to be interpreting for global dignitaries. He begged forgiveness. | |
| At the same time, a government minister acknowledged on Thursday that Mr. Jantjie, whose first language is Xhosa, one of the most widespread among South Africa’s 11 official languages, was “not a professional sign language interpreter” and “the English was a bit too much for him.” He had been hired at a small fraction of the usual rate for the job and the company that supplied him had “vanished into thin air,” said Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities. | At the same time, a government minister acknowledged on Thursday that Mr. Jantjie, whose first language is Xhosa, one of the most widespread among South Africa’s 11 official languages, was “not a professional sign language interpreter” and “the English was a bit too much for him.” He had been hired at a small fraction of the usual rate for the job and the company that supplied him had “vanished into thin air,” said Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities. |
| On Wednesday sign language experts expressed outrage that an impostor who was clearly illiterate in sign language could have pulled off such a stunt. He was a constant presence on the stage of the memorial service on Tuesday, watched not only by the audience in the vast soccer stadium in Soweto but by hundreds of millions on television. | On Wednesday sign language experts expressed outrage that an impostor who was clearly illiterate in sign language could have pulled off such a stunt. He was a constant presence on the stage of the memorial service on Tuesday, watched not only by the audience in the vast soccer stadium in Soweto but by hundreds of millions on television. |
| “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 deaf, said in a statement posted on the organization’s Facebook page. | “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 deaf, said in a statement posted on the organization’s Facebook page. |
| The statement also listed the interpreter’s failings. 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. | The statement also listed the interpreter’s failings. 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. |
| “It is a total mockery of the language,” the statement said. | “It is a total mockery of the language,” the statement said. |
| In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Mr. Jantjie acknowledged his condition, saying: “What happened that day, I see angels come to the stadium.” | In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Mr. Jantjie acknowledged his condition, saying: “What happened that day, I see angels come to the stadium.” |
| “I start realizing that the problem is here. And the problem, I don’t know the attack of this problem, how will it come. Sometimes I get violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things chasing me.” | “I start realizing that the problem is here. And the problem, I don’t know the attack of this problem, how will it come. Sometimes I get violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things chasing me.” |
| “I was in a very difficult position,” Mr. Jantjie went on. “And remember those people, the president and everyone, they were armed, there was armed police around me. If I start panicking I’ll start being a problem. I have to deal with this in a manner so that I mustn’t embarrass my country.” | “I was in a very difficult position,” Mr. Jantjie went on. “And remember those people, the president and everyone, they were armed, there was armed police around me. If I start panicking I’ll start being a problem. I have to deal with this in a manner so that I mustn’t embarrass my country.” |
| “I would like to tell everybody that if I have offended them, please forgive me. I was doing what I believe makes a difference in the country,” he said. Separately, he told the BBC at his home in Soweto: “It was not something that was deliberate.” | “I would like to tell everybody that if I have offended them, please forgive me. I was doing what I believe makes a difference in the country,” he said. Separately, he told the BBC at his home in Soweto: “It was not something that was deliberate.” |
| In another conversation with The Star newspaper, Mr. Jantjie, 34, said he had started hearing voices and hallucinating while on stage in the FNB Stadium in Soweto. | In another conversation with The Star newspaper, Mr. Jantjie, 34, said he had started hearing voices and hallucinating while on stage in the FNB Stadium in Soweto. |
| “There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry. It’s the situation I found myself in,” he said. | “There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry. It’s the situation I found myself in,” he said. |
| And, in yet another interview, with Talk Radio 702 in Johannesburg, he defended his performance during the memorial. | And, in yet another interview, with Talk Radio 702 in Johannesburg, he defended his performance during the memorial. |
| “Absolutely, absolutely. I think that I’ve been a champion of sign language,” he said. He described himself as “a patient receiving treatment in schizophrenia.” | “Absolutely, absolutely. I think that I’ve been a champion of sign language,” he said. He described himself as “a patient receiving treatment in schizophrenia.” |
| Two days after the episode, the South African authorities gave their first account of what happened when Ms. Bogopane-Zulu told reporters on Thursday that an investigation was underway into Mr. Jantjie’s security clearance. | Two days after the episode, the South African authorities gave their first account of what happened when Ms. Bogopane-Zulu told reporters on Thursday that an investigation was underway into Mr. Jantjie’s security clearance. |
| “I don’t think he was just picked up from the street,” she said. “He comes from a school for the deaf.” | “I don’t think he was just picked up from the street,” she said. “He comes from a school for the deaf.” |
| “He could speak sign language with his peers but he is not a professional sign language interpreter,” she went on. | “He could speak sign language with his peers but he is not a professional sign language interpreter,” she went on. |
| “The English was a bit too much for him,” she added. | “The English was a bit too much for him,” she added. |
| 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 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. | 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 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. |
| The aftermath of Mr. Mandela’s death was also marked by news reports on Wednesday that burglars had broken into the Cape Town home of another revered figure in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu. The burglary took place while Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was attending the memorial service, according to the newspaper Cape Times. | The aftermath of Mr. Mandela’s death was also marked by news reports on Wednesday that burglars had broken into the Cape Town home of another revered figure in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu. The burglary took place while Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was attending the memorial service, according to the newspaper Cape Times. |
| Ms. Bogopane-Zulu said the owners of the company that supplied Mr. Jantjie had “vanished.” | Ms. Bogopane-Zulu said the owners of the company that supplied Mr. Jantjie had “vanished.” |
| “We’ve managed to get hold of them and then we spoke to them wanting some answers and they vanished into thin air because it’s a clear indication that over the years they have managed to get away with this. They have been providing substandard sign language interpreting to many of their clients and nobody has picked up,” she said. | “We’ve managed to get hold of them and then we spoke to them wanting some answers and they vanished into thin air because it’s a clear indication that over the years they have managed to get away with this. They have been providing substandard sign language interpreting to many of their clients and nobody has picked up,” she said. |
| She added that one clue to Mr. Jantjie’s professional status came from the fact that the going rate for a sign-language interpreter was between $125 and $164 an hour, whereas his services were just $77 a day. | She added that one clue to Mr. Jantjie’s professional status came from the fact that the going rate for a sign-language interpreter was between $125 and $164 an hour, whereas his services were just $77 a day. |
John Eligon reported from Qunu, South Africa, and Nicholas Kulish from Pretoria, South Africa. Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London. | John Eligon reported from Qunu, South Africa, and Nicholas Kulish from Pretoria, South Africa. Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London. |