Posted on 12/12/2013 7:12:06 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine
Johannesburg (AFP) - The sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial ceremony denied he was a fraud Thursday, claiming he gesticulated nonsense during the service because he was suffering a schizophrenic episode and hallucinating.
Thamsanqa Jantjie has been branded a fraud by members of South Africa's deaf community, who said his signing for US President Barack Obama and other world leaders amounted to little more than "flapping his arms around."
Jantjie on Thursday insisted he was a qualified signer, but said his behaviour was down to a sudden attack of schizophrenia, for which he takes medication.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Perfect!
I swear I saw the guy sign...all your healthcare are belong to us...I did really... :-)
He was under NSA surveillance.. Not Signing Accurately.
What's with that headline? He didn't fake being deaf, he faked knowing sign language.
Not sure about Africa, but making the “OK” sign is a huge insult in many parts of the world.
LOL!
The urinalists (aka journalists) really need to double check their work, eh?
He still comes way cheaper than the bungled ObLahMaoScare website plus he doesn’t ask for your SS#.
Maybe he was trying to tell us what the fox says.
“If he was signing in tongues there is a possibility that someone could actually understand it. I think he was actually saying “Help help help””
Lol! Lol! Lol!
Could be a side effect of the meds...
Warning, this drug may induce nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, or desire to imitate a sign language interpreter.
Sounds like he should be smoking more doob! He can get a prescription for that and get it filled in WA or CO.
They tried, too.
Is this Soweto Bob? Where is Baghdad Bob?
Soweto Bob! HA! Good one!
Things like this naturally happen, there are nuts everywhere. But that the Secret Service allowed him within three FEET of the POTUS is “unnatural.” Why is everybody focusing in the translator and not the PPD of the Secret Service? Amazing!
Why should I have a problem with Obie having people like this around him? I think the SS is doing a great job!
>pssst!< Gives him more credibility that way!
LOL!
I’ve read several articles and youtube interviews about this.
Apparantly the interpreter had been formally trained to sign and had been paid $85/hr to interpret/sign for the event.
He had a history of being placed in a mental hospital for about a year, and is now out, but has to revisit the doctor every 6 months. Some of his episodes also included strong impulses to murder people, but those he has resisted.
He also claims he is being visited by angles and then has hallucinations. He claims he was seeing angels and was in a dangerous situation, so continued to sign, although his attention was on resisting the angelic or hallucinations and their temptations.
BTW, reportedly all attempts to reach the general contractor who was paid to provide the interpreter, has resulted in a dead end, unable to be found, as if they never existed. Almost as if they had contracted with angels?
So if speaking to a spiritually gifted deaf mute, do they speak in Tongues or Thumbs?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.