Nelson Madela Memorial - Fake signing.

[Oblomov]

I just can't get over this.
HOW did this man get given the contract to do this?
Millions watching. Worldwide.
And this happens.
What a mistake. I just can't get my head around it.

Is there another thread? I looked, but couldn't find.

Very strange, thought it was hilarious when I first heard but now not so much. He was interviewed after and said he was having a schizophrenic episode when he was supposed to be signing, and admitted to being violent in the past. So a huge security lapse. Now BBC is saying he has "disappeared".

"South African deaf groups say they have complained about the man's work before."

"Mr Jantjie said he felt honoured when SA Interpreters, the company that contract him, told him on Monday that he would interpret at the historic memorial service."

Well, ender, there isn't much we CAN say, is there!
Astonishing.

This popped up on my FB with the comment That's africa! That's what lots of people will think too, rather than some sort of cock up, an inevitable cock up. which is a bitter irony at Mandela's funeral

An inevitable cock up?

No. NM had been unwell for a long time. They have had a very long time to plan this memorial. It all went well, or so it seems. so nothing wrong with the rest of the planning, then?

But instead of hiring someone who was at the top of their game, with great experience, a total honour, they hire a man, who has been not working, because of a violent past.
Of whom complaints have been made about his work before.
Who seems mentally unwell, and had a schizophrenic episode, on the most important job of his life.
And didn't just forget bits. But didn't do one single sign that is recognised signing, worldwide.

Surely this cock up was avoidable.

I'm betting people aren't too pleased that a violent schizophrenic was placed right next to Obama and co. Not very good for international security.

It's not me saying that Oblomov, it's the racist feckers saying it's inevitable cos those daft africans eh, what do you expect.
Course it wasn't inevitable but it was a major cock up

Hmph, Ive heard people laughing about it but no so funny if you are deaf tbh. I watched it and at the time couldnt get my head around it as I can usually pick up other countries sign language and couldnt understand it at all, and he had no NMF (facial expressions) that is vital in sign language.

I just dont understand how it happened, it was really embarrasing watching him, I was wincing (I thought it was someone taking the piss as it was so odd). It reminded me of that Catherine Tate sketch when she tries to speak in other languages.

So he CAN sign but temporarily forgot how to due to having a schizophrenic episode? Or can't at all? It's really astonishing either way.

Yes there is a serious side and a funny side to this.

I thought he might be someone who could SIGN a bit; but lost it in front of multi million TV audence.

It was embarrassing for the South African government. I can't believe they would have made such a mistake on such a big event.

There was booing of the President, Desmond Tutu being burgled and then this signer.

The ANC didn't book him
"But it said Tuesday's memorial at a stadium in Johannesburg was organised by the state, not the ANC, so the ruling party could not comment on security arrangements."

"Ms Bogopane-Zulu apologised to the deaf community but said there was no reason for the country to be embarrassed."
But it was embarrassing.

and to top it all, the signer said

"Mr Jantjie himself has blamed his flawed interpretation on a schizophrenic episode.

He told the Associated Press he had often been violent in the past, and had been due to attend a routine mental health check-up on the day of the memorial, to determine whether he needed to be admitted to hospital "

Quotes come from BBC article

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25345627

really fucking shit. Not funny at all, and really insulting to the deaf for this to have been made light of.

The story gets even stranger

"South African news website eNCA reported that Mr Jantjie, who has schizophrenia, has faced charges for rape (1994), theft (1995), housebreaking (1997), malicious damage to property (1998), murder, attempted murder and kidnapping (2003) charges.

The website said it was unclear if the 2003 murder case was ever concluded as the court file was found to be empty during their investigations."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523162/Schizophrenic-fake-Mandela-memorial-signer-charged-MURDER.html

The whole thing is extremely fishy. A commenter on a South African newspaper asked the very good question, how come he was allowed to do media interviews with foreign media afterwards. Why wasn't that handled through an official PR channel instead?

The whole thing is just very odd and a calamity.

I think somebody may have wanted to embarrass the ANC party.
President Zuma was booed, Tutu was robbed and then the hiring of this signer was apparently a mistake. Supposedly the company who hired him is uncontactable and appears to have disappeared and yet the signer is available for worldwide media interviews.

The whole thing has been highly embarrassing for the ruling party.

I thought it was hilarious that some random bloke was signing prawns.

yeah because the deaf community are just a joke??

If this wasnt such an important occasion, then maybe it would be more amusing