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'Fake' interpreter performs 'nonsense' sign language throughout Mandela memorial

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Have to say, when I first read this, I actually found it hilarious. How that guy was able to keep a straight face knowing he was fooling everyone around him at the time. But yeah, this incident says a lot about the country.
Reply 21
He must know sign language and have had security checks done on him. They don't just start the filming and think "oh no, we don't have an interpreter, does anyone in the audience want to have a bash at signing?".
A monkey could run South Africa better than the ANC, Truth is ANC ruined South Africa.If we want to talk racism, they're even racist towards other black immigrants from countries like somalia. Without Afrikaner, agriculture and medicine, I doubt the black population would even be half of what it is now.
Reply 23
Eish a double up gone wrong. ..

Original post by wcivilrights
A monkey could run South Africa better than the ANC, Truth is ANC ruined South Africa.If we want to talk racism, they're even racist towards other black immigrants from countries like somalia. Without Afrikaner, agriculture and medicine, I doubt the black population would even be half of what it is now.


I agree that without the whites South Africa would suffer economically. There's a lot of corruption but I still think they run organize themselves to some extent. For example the fifa world cup it was run well.

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Reply 24
The guy was stood next to Obama making random hand movements!

What a legend

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Reply 25
I wonder if this guy is a relative...

Reply 26
Original post by Umar1
The guy was stood next to Obama making random hand movements!

What a legend

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obama-not-bad.jpg
oh

I assumed he was dancing :confused:

Seriously though, he so obviously wasn't suffering a schizophrenic episode, they ****ed up the funeral of their most important national figure, he's an epic joker and now they're making up stories make it seem like less of a **** up.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 28
lol

But there was another interpreter so whats da problem
And the thin false facade of South Africa as a coherent functioning country comes crashing down.
Original post by nic-nac
He must know sign language and have had security checks done on him. They don't just start the filming and think "oh no, we don't have an interpreter, does anyone in the audience want to have a bash at signing?".


Judging from the stories today, he does know sign language, but he isn't good at signing outside his own Xhosa language community. It sounds as if he's been 'over promoted' by someone. In addition, signers at big events like that are supposed to do 20-minute shifts and he was on for hours.

I would guess that the real story here is (a) sloppy contracting by a confused, chaotic government, (b) ripping off of said government by a company supplying signers, (c) this poor guy who was utterly not up to the task, to the extent that he either had an 'episode' during the session, or has decided he had one afterwards, to help 'explain' the situation.

Remarkable incompetence by US and other secret service staffs. I wonder if they queried him to Obama and the Boss overruled their concerns?

By the way, I think we could do without some of the racist remarks creeping into this thread - I don't find talking about black South Africans as 'monkeys' and the like very helpful or friendly. They are doing their best - this was a country ruled by a white hegemony for centuries where black people were denied education, rights and money. Against that background, it isn't surprising it is taking a while for their governments to show competence. I'm not making excuses, as clearly they need to get it right, but it's no excuse for racism.
Reply 31
On a serious note, what did his hand movements actually refer to? Was he making gang signatures or something?

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Reply 32
I have finally found out what he was doing with his hands after a while. It seems he was doing Piccolos signature move from DBZ.

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