Thamsanqa Jantjie

Thamsanqa Jantjie (right), here with US President Barack Obama at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela , 2013

Thamsanqa "Thami" Jantjie (also Dyantyi, * approx. 1979) is a South African interpreter who also acted as an alleged sign language interpreter and was suspected of being a fraudster .

He became known worldwide in December 2013 when he appeared as the alleged sign language interpreter at the official memorial service for the late ex-President Nelson Mandela . Jantjie had stood right next to the alternating prominent funeral orators for around four hours and " interpreted into sign language " without the gestures he made actually representing a sign- language translation of what was said as intended .

Life before its notoriety

According to press reports, he grew up in the city of Bloemfontein , where he attended elementary school, which he left in 1997 without a degree.

Jantjie worked as a court interpreter at the district court of the city of Boksburg until 2011 , but not for sign language. His mother tongue is Xhosa. Work for the court ended when he was hospitalized for an unknown period of time with a mental illness.

Most recently he was employed by the translation company South African Interpreters, which belongs to the party responsible for religious and traditional affairs of the African National Congress (ANC). Due to his illness, according to one of the company owners, he hadn't worked there as an interpreter for years, but only as an administrative clerk and agent.

For years, however, he was used as a sign language interpreter at events both by the South African government and the ruling party ANC, including at major events with the participation of President Jacob Zuma , such as the funeral for freedom fighter Albertina Sisulu in June 2011, the 100th anniversary celebration of the ANC in January 2012 and the election party conference in December 2012. It is not known whether Jantjie is an ANC member himself. However, photos have been released showing him wearing a shirt embroidered with the ANC logo suggesting his party membership.

Jantjie is married with four children and lives in a high standard of living in the Johannesburg suburb of Soweto .

Reports of criminal past

In the course of media research after his appearance at the Mandela memorial service, it became known that Jantjie was charged with a number of serious crimes between 1993 and 2006, including murder. In response to inquiries, the South African attorney general was initially unable to confirm or deny the reports on the previous legal proceedings. Jantjie finally confirmed in an interview that he was charged with joint murder, attempted murder and kidnapping, along with other suspects, because of the cremation of two people by so-called necklacing in the form of lynching , in which he was present. However, the charges were dropped because he was unable to stand trial because of his mental health. According to media reports, he has already pretended to be a teacher, doctor, medicine man and lawyer in the past. In addition, he is said to have tried in vain to be admitted to middle school by presenting falsified certificates.

Appearance at Mandela Memorial Service

On December 10, 2013, Jantjie took part as the official sign language interpreter at the funeral service organized by the South African government for Nelson Mandela , who had died five days earlier . The celebration took place in Soccer City in Johannesburg, the largest stadium in Africa, and was watched by millions of television viewers around the world. Jantjie had been hired by the organizers to translate the speeches given by the various speakers into South African Sign Language (SASL) over a period of around four hours. For this purpose, he stood on the stage immediately next to the lectern during the speeches, so that he was clearly visible on the images captured with television cameras both via electronic screens for the audience in the stadium and for the television audience. During his supposed interpreting work, Jantjie constantly made hand and arm movements that looked like sign language to an unfamiliar viewer, but actually made no sense. He spent the entire duration of the event in the center of the event without any noticeable incidents.

Sign language interpreters are used more frequently at public events in South Africa than in many other countries, and their presence is compulsory at many government events.

Protests

During the event, television viewers who knew about sign language spoke up in public to draw attention to Jantjie's incomprehensible gestures. They included the chairman of the South African deaf association "DeafSA" and the first deaf member of the South African parliament , Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC). Outside South Africa, too, there were complaints about Jantjie's apparent incapacity for the deaf on the occasion of the broadcast of the Mandela memorial service. The news spread via reports in social networks on the Internet until the case was picked up by international news agencies the following day and discussed worldwide.

While the event was still going on, another prominent deaf South African announced that Jantjie had previously performed as a sign language interpreter at at least one official event of the ruling ANC party. As the DeafSA chairman explained, the association had sent an official protest to the ANC after Jantjie was noticed as an incompetent sign language interpreter at an election party conference of the ANC in December 2012. However, the ruling party did not respond to the letter. The executive director of the Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) association for the disabled also pointed out that Jantjie had previously been noticed as an inept interpreter at national television events of the ANC. After DeafSA, the South African National Deaf Association (SANDA), which competes with DeafSA, protested against Jantjie's appearance at the memorial ceremony in a statement published jointly with DPSA, calling him a “charlatan” who damaged the memorial event and a bad job of sign language interpreter Have done my service. The National Deaf Institute of South Africa (NID) also protested with its own statement. The protests of the South African Deaf were also joined by foreign and multinational organizations. Jantjie's intervention has been described as the “grossest insult” to the deaf, but it hopefully draws attention to the recurring problem that the deaf are being exploited by corrupt scammers who are out to be fake interpreters for easy money.

Prominent sign language interpreters also protested against Jantjie's efforts, which they condemned as damaging the profession and as a “crime” or “injustice” against the deaf in South Africa. The chairman of the South African translation institute SATI confirmed that there had been complaints about Jantjie to the ANC in the past, to which no response had been received. The chairwoman of the South African Sign Language Education and Development (SLED) organization said Jantjie was a "complete cheat" and that not a single one of his signs had anything to do with sign language.

Government and ANC reactions

Vice Minister Bogopane-Zulu

The Vice Minister responsible for the interests of people with disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu , defended Jantjie in a first interview on December 12th by stating that no one had the right to call him a fake sign language interpreter. There is no globally uniform sign language. She spoke to Jantjie after the event. She said Jantjie attended a school for the deaf and learned sign language from the deaf. She added, "He belongs to an organization called South African Translaters, which is owned by two women." The company had made the cheapest offer for a sign language interpreter in response to a government tender. The daily rate of 1000 rand was even below the hourly rate customary for sign language interpreters, so the company was apparently given the contract out of consideration for tendering regulations for reasons of economy. Jantjie was not the main interpreter for the event, but was only intended for the deaf in the stadium, while two other interpreters were employed for the television broadcast of the South African broadcaster SABC .

In a further radio interview she also argued in his defense that DeafSA is “not the guardian of South African sign language”, but a controversial organization, because historically it has focused solely on white deaf people rely on the rural black population. She pointed to linguistic political reasons that speak against the binding nature of the standardized South African Sign Language (SASL) and spoke of "hundreds of dialects" in the country's sign language. Deaf people learned a different sign language, depending on the school they attended. She stated that only "some" deaf people did not understand Jantjie. Apparently his level of English was not sufficient, but English does not have priority over other South African languages. In addition, her ministry was not responsible for selecting the interpreter. In another interview, she put the damage caused to the deaf in South Africa by Jantjie into perspective by pointing out that a large part of the rural black population did not understand sign language anyway due to a lack of school attendance. A statement published by Bogopane-Zulu's ministry on the occasion of the controversy surrounding Jantjie also pointed to the large number of existing sign language dialects and to open questions regarding the binding nature of the South African sign language SASL as the core of a larger problem that should be taken into account in the current discussion.

At a press conference on December 12, she said that the SA Interpreters company, through which Jantjie was booked for the memorial ceremony, had apparently been providing below-average services for many years, but this had not been noticed until that day. The government tried to confront those responsible for the company, but they "vanished into thin air". About Jantjie, the government member claimed that he had attended a school for the deaf and that he could converse with others in sign language, even if he was not a professional sign language interpreter. He was apparently overwhelmed at the memorial service. He started well, then got tired in the middle and lost concentration. That doesn't mean he's a bad sign language interpreter. She did not want to acknowledge embarrassing misconduct by her government, but spoke of a mistake that had been made in the country's attempt to do the right thing. In contrast to some of the countries from which protests are now coming, sign language translation is standard in South Africa. However, an investigation into the details of Jantjie's booking for the event has already been initiated and the government will provide information on the results once it is completed.

Bogopane-Zulu omissions met with fierce protest from deaf people and sign language experts. Newhoudt-Druchen accused her of "making things worse". She should have consulted deaf people for advice before speaking. The deputy minister's statements were "hurtful, harmful and uninformed". Sign language interpreter Pholoho Selebano, employed by SABC, commented that the vice minister had painted a very bad picture of the interpreting profession “to save her own skin” and announced an open letter to her. You are not telling the truth and must "stop insulting the sign language interpreting profession".

More reactions

On December 13, Culture Minister Paul Mashatile asked the deaf and all South Africans for forgiveness on behalf of the government. At the beginning of the year, he announced a reform of the law regulating the interpreting profession, which should help prevent such a mistake from being repeated.

Right at the beginning of the controversy, the ruling party ANC declared that it was not responsible because the Mandela memorial was a state event, the organization of which, including the recruitment of the interpreter, was the sole responsibility of the government and not the ANC. The party confirmed that it had repeatedly used Jantjie as a sign language interpreter in the past, but that, contrary to reports, the ANC had not been aware of any criticism of his translation services and had no knowledge of his health. In statements, two party spokesmen of the ANC successively emphasized that Jantjie had offered his interpreting services to the ANC as a volunteer and had not been paid for his work. However, one newspaper reported that it had an invoice from SA Interpreters to the ANC dated June 2012. The company SA Interpreters, headed by Bogopane-Zulu, could not be located in any company register or at the address given by Jantjie during media research. After media reports that one of those involved in the front company was a senior party official of the ANC, the party announced that it would support the government's internal investigation into the circumstances of Jantjie's employment. In addition, she wants to investigate the media reports and take decisive action against any false accusations against persons in the service of the ANC.

Jantjie's statements

After journalists discovered his identity, Jantjie gave several interviews in the days that followed, in which he defended himself with various, sometimes bizarre statements against the violent criticism of his performance as a sign language interpreter. He said he had suffered from schizophrenia for several years , which is why he had to take medication, and had a sudden attack while standing on the stage in the stadium. He lost concentration, angels appeared to him who had come into the stadium and on stage, and he heard voices. He tried not to panic because he was surrounded by armed security guards. Also due to the historical importance of the event, he did not dare to leave the stage. The situation was very dangerous for him. He has often become violent in previous schizophrenia attacks. If DeafSA thinks that he has interpreted incorrectly, then he ask for forgiveness. However, he is a "master of sign language" and it is completely incomprehensible that his competence is suddenly being questioned after he has already interpreted into sign language at numerous top-class events with prominent speakers such as President Zuma, against which there have never been any complaints. In several interviews, he emphasized that he was a qualified sign language interpreter, but avoided specific questions about the type of his qualifications or the training institution he attended and referred to his alleged employer, SA Interpreters, who could submit his CV including all qualifications. In an interview he claimed that he was one of the best sign language interpreters in South Africa and that he had completed two years of full-time study at a university in Great Britain called the University of Tecturers - which, after research by his interlocutors, turned out to be nonexistent. His certificates and documents have been in a briefcase in a car since the President's Office asked him for more details. In another interview, he claimed to have completed a year of sign language training at a school called "Komani" in the Eastern Cape Province - no evidence of which could be found either.

Media processing

Jantjie's appearance was commented on worldwide and gave rise to numerous satirical reports in the media. The following edition of the most successful comedy show on US television, Saturday Night Live , featured a sketch parodying Jantjie's gestures at Obama's speech. At Jimmy Kimmel Live! , another US entertainment show, a real sign language interpreter stepped up and tried to translate Jantjie's incoherent gestures into English. At the presentation of the British Comedy Awards on British television, the comedian Paul Whitehouse brought a black "sign language interpreter" on the stage, based on Jantjie, who performed any gestures - which was criticized by the deaf as bad taste. Those in charge of the US breakfast television program The Today Show apologized to their viewers after a wildly gesticulating "sign language interpreter" was shown for a few seconds. Italian comedian and politician Beppe Grillo named Jantjie Man of the Year 2013 on his blog . The South African comedian Trevor Noah made fun of him in "Jokes About Deaf People".

Web links

• German Deaf Association (DGB): "Wrong" sign language interpreter at Mandela funeral service. Announcement on the DGB website from December 12, 2013, with further links
• Series of articles to Jantjie the British Deaf website The Limping Chicken (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} 'Fake' interpreter made claims of being a doctor, teacher. ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: City Press of December 13, 2013 (English)
2. ↑ ^{a b} funeral service for Mandela: nonsense interpreter claims to have had hallucinations. In: Spiegel Online from December 12, 2013
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Botho Molosankwe: More claims against 'fake' interpreter. In: iol News from December 13, 2013
4. ↑ ^{a b c} ANC religious and traditional affairs head hired Mandela memorial mimer. In: Times Live from December 15, 2013 (English)
5. ^ Funeral Service of Mrs Albertina Sisulu. (Video, 8:20 min.) Jantjie's appearance as a sign language interpreter during several speeches in June 2011, accessed via YouTube on December 18, 2013 (English)
6. ^ Jacob Zuma sings for ANC's 100th anniversary. (Video, 1:52 min.). Euronews of January 8, 2012, accessed via YouTube on December 19, 2013
7. ↑ Don't feel excluded, says re-elected Zuma. (Video, 1:22 min.) Jantjie's appearance as a sign language interpreter during a speech by Zuma in December 2012, accessed via YouTube on December 18, 2013 (English)
8. ↑ ^{a b} We have used Thamsanqa Jantjie for signing in past - ANC. ANC press release of December 12, 2013
9. ↑ ^{a b} Is this the fake sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela memorial? Sources name mystery man. In: Mirror Online of December 12, 2013 (English)
10. ↑ Fake Signer At Mandela Event Says He Hallucinated. ( Memento of December 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) In: NPR of December 12, 2013 (English)
11. ↑ Sign language interpreter was charged with murder. In: Tages-Anzeiger of December 13, 2013
12. ↑ Karyn Maughan: EXCLUSIVE: Mandela deaf interpreter accused of murder. In: eNCA of December 13, 2013 (English)
13. ↑ NPA to look for 'fake' interpreter's court records. In: Mail & Guardian of December 13, 2013 (English)
14. ↑ ^{a b} Tendai Musiya and Alan Clendenning: Relative: Mandela Signer in Group That Burned Men. In: ABC News from December 16, 2013 (English)
15. ↑ Many faces of Jantjie! In: Daily Sun of December 17, 2013 (English)
16. ^ ^{A b c} Christian Putsch: Mandela memorial service: Wrong sign language interpreter allegedly schizophrenic. In: Welt Online from December 12, 2013
17. ↑ Twitter message from Bruno Druchen from December 10, 2013 (English): "Please get rid of this interpreter clown"
18. ^ 1. Twitter message from Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen dated December 10, 2013 (English): “@ANCGauteng The interpreter with ANC connections next to the ANC Vice President signs garbage. Please take him away! "; 2. Twitter message : “The interpreter with ANC connections does not speak any sign language, he invents characters. Please take him away "
19. ^ Charlie Swinbourne: How our news article triggered worldwide coverage of the 'fake' sign language interpreter story. In: The Limping Chicken from December 13, 2013
20. ↑ Video ZDF today: Outrage over sign language interpreters (December 12, 2013, 10:46 a.m., 1:39 min.)  In the ZDFmediathek , accessed on February 10, 2014.
21. ↑ Mandela memorial service's interpreter for deaf: I'm schizophrenic. (with video, 3:09 min.). In: CBS News of December 12, 2013 (English)
22. ↑ Twitter message from the film director Braam Jordaan from December 10, 2013 (English): “@charlie_swin @Deaf He also 'translated' into Mangaung at the ANC's election convention last December. It's like he's out for revenge! "
23. ↑ ^{a b} Sign speaker is "schizophrenic" and has already become violent during his seizures. In: Tages-Anzeiger of December 12, 2013
24. ↑ Lauren Isaacs: DPSA blasts 'fake interpreter'. In: Eyewitness News from December 12, 2013 (English)
25. ↑ DeafSA: Press statement on the fake interpreter. Press statement by the South African Deaf Association on 11 December 2013 Facebook (English)
26. ↑ Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) and South African National Deaf Association (SANDA): Media Statement: Fake Sign Language Interpreter Mars Mandela Memorial Service (PDF). Press release of the South African Association of the Disabled and the Deaf Association SANDA of December 13, 2013
27. ↑ Interpreter marred Mandela memorial: Sanda. In: iol News from December 13, 2013
28. ↑ National Institute for the Deaf (NID): Press Release: The NID on “Interpreter” at Madiba Memorial ( Memento of the original from December 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF). Press release from the South African Deaf Institute of December 11, 2013
29. ^ World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI): WFD-WASLI Joint Statement about the Sign Language interpretation at Mandela's memorial service. Press release of the International Association of the Deaf and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters on Facebook from December 12, 2013 (English)
30. ↑ Fake interpreter to insult to Madiba. (Video, 4:21 min.). In: eNCA News from December 11, 2013, accessed via YouTube (English)
31. ↑ SABC sign interpreter Natasha Maliko: 'What Jantjie did bordered on mime and stand up comedy!' (Audio, 7:16 min.). Interview on Talk Radio 702 from December 12, 2013, accessed via SoundCloud (English)
32. ↑ Thelma on incorrect use of sign language at Madiba's memorial. (Video, 8:37 min.). In: SABC News of December 12, 2013, accessed via YouTube (English)
33. ↑ Botho Molosankwe: I'm very sorry: deaf signer. In: iol News from December 12, 2013 (English)
34. ^ Memorial sign language man 'a fake'. In: iol News from December 11, 2013 (English)
35. ↑ Sign language furore at Madiba memorial. (Audio, 8:34 min.). In: Capital Radio 567 of December 12, 2013, accessed via SoundCloud (English)
36. ^ 'Fake interpreter': I was hearing voices. In: Eyewitness News from December 12, 2013 (English)
37. ^ Minister comes to 'fake interpreter's' defense. ( Memento of the original from December 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: SABC News from December 12, 2013 (English)
38. ↑ Fake sign language interpreter was being investigated. (Video, 5:32 min.). In: eNCA News from December 12, 2013, accessed on YouTube (English)
39. ^ South African Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities: The right of deaf South Africans to access to information and communication. ( Memento from December 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Press release from December 12, 2013 on the occasion of the protests against Jantjie (English)
40. ↑ ^{a b c d} Govt admits error for using fake interpreter ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (with video of the press conference). In: SABC News from December 12, 2013 (English)
41. ↑ ^{a b} Lucy McCalmont: Official: Signer's company 'vanished'. In: Politico of December 12, 2013 (English)
42. ↑ Mandela memorial interpreter says he has schizophrenia. In: The Guardian of December 12, 2013 (English)
43. ↑ Twitter - message from Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen dated December 12, 2013 (English): “What on earth does the Vice Minister say on SABC! Today is a sad, sad day for deaf South Africans! "
44. ↑ Twitter message from Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen of December 12, 2013 (English): “Comrade Hendrietta should have received advice from the deaf before speaking. It makes things worse. "
45. ↑ Twitter message from Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen of December 12, 2013 (English): "What was said today by the Vice Minister is hurtful, harmful and uninformed."
46. ↑ Twitter message from Pholoho Selebano from December 12, 2013 (English): "The Vice Minister painted a very bad image of the interpreting profession on national television in order to save her own skin."
47. ↑ Twitter message from Pholoho Selebano from December 12, 2013 (English): "I will write an open letter to the Vice Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities in response to today's press conference."
48. ↑ Twitter message from Pholoho Selebano from December 12, 2013 (English): "The Vice Minister is not telling us the truth."
49. ↑ Twitter message from Pholoho Selebano from December 12, 2013 (English): "The Vice Minister and her government must stop insulting our profession."
50. ↑ South Africa officially apologizes for sign language interpreters. In: Tages-Anzeiger of December 13, 2013
51. ↑ 'Fake' interpreter seen signing for Jacob Zuma in 2012. In: itv.com from December 12, 2013 (English)
52. ^ ANC Statement on allegations re: Sign Language Interpreter. ANC press release of December 16, 2013
53. ↑ ^{a b} Interview with Thamsanqa Dyantyi aka "The Fake Interpreter" ( Memento from December 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). (Audio, 20:35 min.) Interview with Radio 94.7 Highveld from December 12, 2013, accessed via SoundCloud (English)
54. ↑ ^{a b c} Controversial sign interpreter, Thamsanqa Jantjies responds to accusations of inaccuracies. (Audio, 5:27 min.) Interview with Talk Radio 702 from December 12, 2013, accessed via SoundCloud (English)
55. ↑ S Africa investigates 'fake signer' security checks (with video). In: BBC News of December 12, 2013 (English)
56. ↑ Mandela memorial 'fake' sign language interpreter defends himself. (with video, 1:11 min.). In: Euronews of December 12, 2013 (English)
57. ↑ Zapiro : Fraudsters at Mandela Memorial. (Cartoon) In: ZA News from December 16, 2013 (English)
58. ↑ Hilarious spoof video shows fake signer at Nelson Mandela service making balloon animals. In: Express from December 13, 2013 (English)
59. ^ 'SNL' Mocks Nelson Mandela Funeral Sign Language Interpreter. In: Hollywood Reporter of December 14, 2013 (English)
60. ^ Sign Language Interpreter Translates Mandela Memorial Impostor's Signs. (Video, 3:22 min.). Excerpt from Jimmy Kimmel Live from December 12, 2013, accessed via YouTube (English)
61. ↑ Donna Williams: Paul Whitehouse rubbed the 'fake' interpreter controversy in deaf people's faces. In: The Limping Chicken from December 14, 2013 (English)
62. ↑ 'Today' Show Apologizes for Mandela Deaf Interpreter Spoof (Video). In: Newsmax from December 12, 2013 (English)
63. ^ Thamsanqa Jantjie uomo dell'anno. ( Memento of the original from January 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Blog di Beppe Grillo from January 1, 2014 (Italian; English translation: Thamsanqa Jantjie - man of the year ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. )