Fake interpreter outrages S African deaf community making a 'total mockery' of language during Mandela's funeral

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The sign language interpreter hired by the South African government for the memorial for Nelson Mandela was not using universally recognized symbols and made a "total mockery" of the language, the Deaf Association of South Africa said on Wednesday.

"The signs the interpreter used are not used in South African sign language and it is a total mockery of the language," said Bruno Druchen, the national director of the organization.

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The interpreter "did not use the established, recognised signs" for Mandela, President Jacob Zuma, former president Thabo Mbeki and South Africa, among other mistakes, said Druchen.

He also noted that the person did not use any facial expressions at the event on Tuesday at the Soweto soccer stadium and that such body language is crucial to understanding the meaning of hand signals.

"The deaf community of this country could not participate in one of the most meaningful days in the history of this country," said Naomi Janse Van Vuuren, a sign language lecturer at Wits University in Johannesburg.

"They also want to share in this celebration of Madiba's life."

"The man on stage used four signs the whole time at the most maybe five. He repeated the same signs all the time. He was definitely not signing what the speaker was saying," Janse van Vuuner said.

"He didn't even know the sign for the Madiba," she added, referencing Mandela's clan name.

"My deaf friends on Facebook are complaining about this, the community is outraged," she said, adding that three members of her department all came to the same conclusion.

The Wits team also concluded the signer was not using British sign language, a widely understood variant.

Government spokesman Phumla Williams said she was looking into the matter.

The Deaf Association of South Africa said the man on stage is not recognized as a professional interpreter and they had no knowledge of who he is.

Janse van Vuuner called for a government investigation into how the person was hired.