|
 The interpreter, 34-year-old Thamsanqa Jantjie, told
Johannesburg's Star newspaper he started hearing voices and
hallucinating while on stage, resulting in gestures that made no
sense to outraged deaf people around the world.
"There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous
situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was
going on. I am very sorry. It's the situation I found myself in," he
told the paper.
He did not know what triggered the attack, he added, saying he took
medication for his schizophrenia.
Millions of TV viewers saw Jantjie interpreting for leaders
including U.S. President Barack Obama and his South African
counterpart, Jacob Zuma, at Tuesday's Mandela memorial.
Afterward South Africa's leading deaf association denounced Jantjie
as a fake who was making up gestures as he stood yards away from
world leaders.
The controversy has raised awkward questions over security at the
event and cast a shadow over South Africa's 10-day farewell to
Mandela, whose remains were lying in state for a second day on
Thursday at Pretoria's Union Buildings, where he was sworn in as the
nation's first black president in 1994.
It also heaps more pressure on Zuma, who was booed by the crowd on
Tuesday after a slew of corruption allegations against him and his
administration. Footage from two large ANC events last year shows
Jantjie signing on stage next to the president.
The government, which was in charge of the mass memorial, said it
had no idea who he was, a comment echoed by Zuma's ruling African
National Congress (ANC).
SIGNING "CHAMPION"
In a radio interview, Jantjie said he was happy with his performance
at the memorial to the anti-apartheid hero, who died a week ago aged
95.
"Absolutely, absolutely. I think that I've been a champion of sign
language," he told Johannesburg's Talk Radio 702.
When contacted by Reuters, he said he could not understand why
people were complaining now, rather than after other events. "I'm
not a failure. I deliver," he said, before hanging up.
[to top of second column] |
The publicity surrounding Jantjie's unconventional gestures — experts said he did not know even basic signs such as "thank you" or
"Mandela" — sparked a frenetic hunt for the interpreter.
Jantjie said he worked for a company called SA Interpreters, hired
by the ANC for Tuesday's ceremony at Johannesburg's 95,000-seat
Soccer City stadium.
Attempts by Reuters to track down the company were unsuccessful, and
the ANC denied any knowledge.
"I'm very, very surprised," spokesman Jackson Mthembu said. "We will
follow this up. We are not sure if there is any truth in what has
been said."
The death of Nobel peace laureate Mandela triggered an outpouring of
grief and emotion — as well as celebration and thanksgiving — among
his 53 million countrymen and millions more around the world.
Thousands of mourners continued to queue to say goodbye to Mandela
in the capital, although that too has not been without its problems.
A lack of drinking water and toilets caused several people to pass
out on Wednesday, and on Thursday social media reports emerged
saying some mourners had taken photographs of Mandela's body,
defying the wishes of his family and the government.
A official statement urged people to delete any pictures of
Mandela's remains if they existed. It also said there were no plans
to release an official photograph of Mandela lying in state.
His body will lie in state for a third day on Friday before being
flown to the Eastern Cape, where it will be buried on Sunday at his
ancestral home in Qunu, 700 km (450 miles) south of Johannesburg.
(Additional reporting by Ed Cropley; editing by Pascal Fletcher and
Alison Williams)
[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
