# "Nelson Mandela ceremony interpreter branded 'fake'" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 11, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068 "2013-12-11T14:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/61 "2013-12-12T20:57:51Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Supposedly he was overdue for an adjustment in his medication. Bad time to get such a top gig. > > As reported in the last link, the interpreter was hired through an agency that has previously contracted for the government and ANC. The Deputy Minister saysthat the management had pulled a disappearing act; preliminary investigation points to the firm having prior complaints of providing substandard services and gotten away with it, apparently because they were so cheap. > > (My initial WAG is of possible cronyism in the repeated use of the agency. ) +1 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/62 "2013-12-12T22:53:56Z")
Please, please, somebody tell me that he was signing “My hovercraft is full of eels.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/63 "2013-12-13T00:56:17Z")
BBC reported the Secret Service saying the South African government was trusted with vetting their people. And they also reported the only moments of hostility on the occasion was loud booing at President Jacob Zuma, which the government tried to edit out of news broadcasts. Sounds like things aren’t all rosy with this government. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/64 "2013-12-13T01:10:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Please, please, somebody tell me that he was signing “My hovercraft is full of eels.” It was only [half full](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6HXgAr1wXQ). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/65 "2013-12-13T02:02:13Z")
Now BBC is routinely referring to the guy as a “violent schizophrenic.” ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/66 "2013-12-13T02:41:03Z")
Hard to believe everyone in the audience–worse; everyone in control of the meeting–was too stupid to realize after the first 30 seconds that Bozo was faking it. One suspects this degree of incompetence is fairly routine given the rather blase initial defense of the fiasco. But you gotta give the signer credit for having cajones. Everybody’s gotta eat, even if you were “success deferred” in signing class. (Or perhaps at the head of the class. Who knows? Maybe he’s the best they got.) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/67 "2013-12-13T03:01:47Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Now BBC is routinely referring to the guy as a “violent schizophrenic.” Well that’s how he described himself. Maybe they should have stated it as "self described violent schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/68 "2013-12-13T03:19:36Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Well that’s how he described himself. Maybe they should have stated it as "self described violent schizophrenic. That’s some catch, that Catch-22… ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/69 "2013-12-13T04:08:19Z")
This is one of the most bizarre stories I’ve heard in awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/70 "2013-12-13T04:08:22Z")
Now they’ve stopped referring to him as a “violent schizophrenic.” Maybe someone complained. But they’re clearly loving this story. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/71 "2013-12-13T16:33:52Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The secret service for most powerful man in the world objects to somebody for any reason, ANY, and you think they’ll tell the President to pound salt? Really? REALLY? I think it’s unlikely, which is why I put the 99% comment, but it’s not impossible, depending on who it is. What if it’s the long time personal assistant or spouse of the head of State the President is meeting? You think the other government will just say “Sure, we’ll bar Mrs. Prime Minister from the state dinner we’re giving in Obama’s honor.” ? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/72 "2013-12-13T18:05:41Z")
It now appears that he has a [long rap sheet](http://www.enca.com/south-africa/interpreter), including accusations of theft, housebreaking, rape, kidnapping, and murder. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/73 "2013-12-13T18:06:33Z")
The Secret Service must be shitting a brick right now. This guy was just a few feet from our President. > **[‘Fake’ interpreter at Mandela ceremony once accused of murder, rape: report](https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/12/13/fake-interpreter-at-mandela-ceremony-once-accused-of-murder-rape-report/)** > > The “fake” sign language interpreter who said he suffered a schizophrenic fit onstage at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service has a criminal history that includes charges of rape and… > [@](#): > > The “fake” sign language interpreter who said he suffered a schizophrenic fit onstage at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service has a criminal history that includes charges of rape and murder, according to a report. > > Thamsanqa Jantjie - who stood near several world leaders, including President Obama, during the event at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg - has been arrested at least five times since the mid-1990s, but he allegedly dodged jail time because he was mentally unfit to stand trial, the South African news station eNCA reported Friday. > > The station found that Jantjie, 34, who has a long history of mental illness, has been arrested on suspicion of rape, theft, housebreaking and malicious damage to property. His most recent collar was in 2003, when he faced murder, attempted murder and kidnapping charges, the news station reported. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/74 "2013-12-13T19:45:37Z")
Security concerns aside, the incident has produced one of the best gifs I’ve ever seen: ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/75 "2013-12-13T19:49:14Z")
That right there. .gif of the Mother Effin Year. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/76 "2013-12-14T00:03:55Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > It now appears that he has a [long rap sheet](http://www.enca.com/south-africa/interpreter), including accusations of theft, housebreaking, rape, kidnapping, and murder. To be fair, it’s not that easy finding someone in South Africa not thusly accused. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/77 "2013-12-14T16:28:44Z")
> [@dogbutler](#): > > Herdie Herdie ve hønør the late President. Børk! Børk! Børk! This is going to keep me laughing all day. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/78 "2013-12-17T01:33:59Z")
This is right up there with [Osama bin Laden and Bert](http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blosamabert2.htm) as you-just-couldn’t-make-this-up hilarious news stories. (On the recent season 3 of the Joe Schmo Show, a fake reality show in which one person thinks they are on an “actual” reality competition show, but everyone else there is a professional actor hired to try to make the situation as hilarious and bizarre as possible, one of the other “contestants” was deaf, and had a sign language interpreter… except that the actress playing the deaf contestant was not actually deaf, and the actor playing the sign language interpreter was not actually a sign language interpreter.) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/79 "2014-01-22T17:45:13Z")
memorials haven’t been good for this guy. Quirk on Mandela statue causes stir > **[Quirk on Mandela statue causes stir](https://news.yahoo.com/quirk-mandela-statue-causes-stir-115215732.html)** > > JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A new, 9-meter (29.5-foot) sculpture of Nelson Mandela is billed as the biggest statue of the South African leader. It also has a tiny, barely visible quirk: a sculpted rabbit tucked inside one of the bronze ears. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068/80 "2014-01-24T03:29:03Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > memorials haven’t been good for this guy. > > Quirk on Mandela statue causes stir > > [Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More](http://news.yahoo.com/quirk-mandela-statue-causes-stir-115215732.html) Possibly it’s just on this computer and browser combo, but when I click on that link, the story with the headline “Quirk on Mandela statue causes stir” has a pretty big photo of the statue at the top of the article, and there’s a blue box (which I guess launches one of those slideshows)…except the blue box is centered right on top of the late president’s crotch! :smack: Wait, _what_ is this statue’s “quirk”?!? (Oh. It’s a little teensy-tiny rabbit in his ear, which is some sort of “signature” for the sculptors. Definitely _not_ what I pictured when I first saw that illustration. :eek: ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nelson-mandela-ceremony-interpreter-branded-fake/676068.md?page=3)