A man who provided sign language interpretation for Barack Obama and other dignitaries at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service was “a fake”, according to multiple sign language experts.
According to the National director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, Bruno Druchen, the man, seen next to the US president and other world leaders, “was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for.”
“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.”
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. It’s complete disrespect for the deaf community and for what Nelson Mandela stood for and the support which he gave toward the deaf community,” she said.
Local interpreter Francois Deysel said the man was “moving his arms (to) try look busy” in an “embarrassing” spectacle.
Another official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, Nicole Du Toit said in a telephone interview that the man on stage purporting to sign was an embarrassment.
“It was horrible, an absolute circus, really really bad,” she said. “Only he can understand those gestures.”
South African parliamentarian Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, a deaf member of the ruling party, also said the man communicated nothing with his hand and arm movements.
South African sign language covers all of the country’s 11 official languages, according to the federation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the unidentified man was using a different method to communicate.
The South African government was said to be preparing a statement after Jackson Mthembu, spokesman for the governing African National Congress party, declined to comment. “Government will be able to assist you,” Mthembu said.
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