South Africa
Crédit : REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
The alleged Mandela memorial interpreter claims he suffers from schizophrenia
Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34 ans affirmed that he is mentally disturbed, after numerous deaf-and-dumb associations accused him of ''fraud''. The signs' language which he used hs no ressemblance to the signs deaf-and-dumb persons usually employ.
In an attempt to restore that image, the South-African vice-minister in charge of handicapped, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, apologized to the whole deaf-and-dumb community around the globe last Thursday. She added that there has been a mistake in the interpreter's hiring process.
In the South-African Star, the gentleman apologized. ''I tried controlling myself, but I could not'' he said. ''I am really sorry'' he added.
It has been alleged that he had already received several complaints. But Mr. Jantjie denied it. ''It has been many years I have been doing this job" he told CNN. "My portfolio shows that I have been a champion of what I have been doing'' he added.
According to the South African vice-minister, the interpreter felt overwhelmed because English is not his first language. She also blamed it on the S Interpreters, the company M. Jantjie came from.
Since that incident, the company has ''vanished'' according to Mrs Bogopane-Zulu
Sources: CNN.com and LeMonde.fr
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