The deaf community in South Africa is livid, following a video that went viral of a “fake” sign language interpreter translating Police Minister Bheki Cele’s address.

Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Friday, sign language activists Andiswa Gebashe and Ntombi Sikuza said the man in the video should not even be called an interpreter.

Watch at 02:30 of video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thtgIRn7grs

This is not the first time a government event uses a fake interpreter, with the most famous obviously being ‘Bompie’ who even managed to get on stage with some of the world’s most famous and important dignitaries at Nelson Mandela’s memorial back in 2013.

She added that the reason the man in the video got away with what he was doing is because of the “screening process” or “recruitment” processes in place.

“The reason he gets away with this is because at the events he is working at, there aren’t deaf people. So, he gets paid and we lose information and that is a violation of our rights.

“The issue is with the companies or agencies that appoint these interpreters and because there isn’t a system that gets followed, apart from who is the cheapest interpreter and they take them.

Quality is compromised

“So, these are the results of cheap over quality. He is not the only one, there are so many interpreters who do this and because there isn’t a place we can voice this and for us to complain. Most officials also don’t know sign language so there is no way of knowing whether it is a fake or qualified interpreter,” she said.

Sikuza said with sign language in the process of being made an official language, perhaps things would change for the better.

“But maybe when sign language becomes an official South African language, there will be regulations that will that will stipulate that if someone falsely interprets, they will be charged.”

In 2013 the sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's Memorial was mocked across the globe for his unintelligible interpretation.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xX44YFTpQ8

Red eyed hustler.

Africans!una dey make me laugh always


Hadley Chase available

Maybe na another dialect or pidgin sign language he dey use

Lol this is hilarious

every where scam

No one is saying anything about his oversized coat.