Mandela Memorial: From Bad To Worse?

[ChillDoubt]

With yesterday's news that Archbishop Tutu's house was burgled whilst he was in attendance at the service, we now have more news regarding the signing 'interpreter':

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

[bednobs]

i don't really get what the problem is - surely it only matters to people who werer watching it live and who use sign language

[Zacs-Master]

'He said that during the event, he had lost concentration because of voices in his head.

He said he had started hallucinating, and saw angels coming into the stadium.

"I was in a very difficult position," he said'

Cuckoo.

[ChillDoubt]

It would appear it meant an awful lot to the deaf SA community though, bednobs.

Mandela was renowned for his wicked sense of humour but I doubt even he'd see the funny side.
It's nothing short of diabolical.

[gness]

Bednobs!! Are the deaf not as entitled to correct information and translation as you or I? That was the problem. He signed a few of words and a load of rubbish before the angels appeared.

I signed for assemblies.....How insulting to the deaf children if I had sat and waved my arms about like a looney.

[Mattk]

"i don't really get what the problem is - surely it only matters to people who werer watching it live and who use sign language"

It's like an interpreter making up the words rather than matching the speech. Quite a big deal to world leaders wanting to give valuable soundbytes...not to mention the potential security issues.

[bednobs]

yes, but what i am saying is this - why do you care if a small cohort of people in SA couldn't see immediately what was being said? are you also upset that the booing meant that some people couldn't hear what was being said clearly? Why do our papers care? why is this news? It was a mistake

[bednobs]

what security issues?

[gness]

Bednobs! You are joking aren't you?....☺

[Mattk]

"what security issues?"

The guy or the firm clearly hadn't been properly vetted. He had a 'schizophrenic episode' whilst on stage and had admitted to being violent in the past.

[237SJ]

I was under the impression that there was no security anyway - people were allowed into the stadium without it. OK, he got a bit close to the bigwigs but so did a lot of other people.

[boxtops]

Not only did he not have the proper clearances, he kept making the same signs several times, and a deaf person watching said that he referred to a "rocking horse" - unlikely, in Obama's speech :-(

[237SJ]

He claims to be a Xhosa speaker who was having an 'episode'.

[anotheoldgit]

Yes it seems that the poor chap was having problems, but tghe question must be "why was he allowed to go on"?

Surely if he had been up there making rude gestures he would have been quickly removed.

But has bednobs has suggested, it is hardly a matter for the British media to get hot under the collar over, are they trying to qualify their over the top coverage of the whole Mandela passing, especially the BBC's.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522470/BBC-sent-THREE-TIMES-staff-cover-Mandela-death-rival-British-broadcasters-combined.html

[Hypognosis]

There are words like 'croneyism' being bandied about in connection with the administration who followed on from Mandela, Mbeki etc. It's tempting to believe that the guy got the gig because he was a 'friend of a friend' of someone in charge of organising the event and, as a consequence, they skipped some small details like...
competency testing
security vetting
medical records check

He got within three feet of several world leaders. Come on, it's not rocket science. :-/

[bazwillrun]

Bothered not

[Sqad]

Hilarious......very very funny.

Schizophrenic?....b@lls.

Remember some years ago when there was a photograph of an unidentified man who was always in the picture in the Winner's Enclosure at the Derby with the winner and owner?........he was an admitted con man.

In the 60's a registrar in neurology was applying for consultant jobs in the NHS and it was found out that he wasn't even medically qualified....Leeds General Infirmary.

Providing that no harm is done..........I find it "good fun" and rather clever and brave.

[ludwig]

bednobs first answer is almost as funny as the actual incident.

[emmie]

it was televised around the globe, so presumably the signer wasn't just for the benefit of handful in attendance. If he wasn't able to do the job then why was he employed.

[FredPuli43]

It is rather an insular view to say that only deaf South Africans were affected. You might as well say that only hearing South Africans were affected by Obama's speech, or that anyone in the world who didn't speak English would be affected by having a meaningless translation in their language.

Does anyone think he was experiencing hallucinations in some schizophrenic episode? How, if he was, did he manage to sign at all ? He has been retained by the governing party in the past. His incompetence might never come to notice, but, if it did, do you think the government would care ?