Mandela sign language interpreter blames schizophrenia for his gestures
Sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s funeral attributes poor performance to schizophrenia
A South African sign language interpreter accused of miming nonsense as world leaders paid tribute to Nelson Mandela defended himself as a "champion" signer yesterday, but said he suffered a schizophrenic episode during the event.
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.
There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation
He did not know what triggered the attack, he added, saying he took medication for his schizophrenia.
Video: Mandela memorial sign language interpreter a 'fraud'
In a separate interview, the said he had seen angels. "What happened that day, I see angels come to the stadium ... I start realising that the problem is here. And the problem, I don't know the attack of this problem, how will it come. Sometimes I get violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things chasing me," Jantjie said.