Mandela memorial translator branded `fake`

Johannesburg – South African Translators’ Institute (Sati) has claimed that the African National Congress (ANC) was aware about the “dodgy” behavior of the sign language interpreter, who embarrassed the country at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service with his blunders.

The man interpreted the speeches of scores of dignitaries, including President Barack Obama and President Jacob Zuma at the FNB stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Chairman of Sati Johan Blaauw said that they suspected there was something mischievous about the man as other interpreters at the proceedings of the ANC elective conference in Mangaung last year had discredited his use of language, but he was still allotted the work on such an important occasion, News24 reports.

Blaauw said it seemed that the man was not using the sign language, instead making funny gestures.

He called on a regulation to be put in place where sign language interpreters could be registered and accredited, the report added.