Deaf people watching the Nelson Mandela's memorial were bemused and shocked by a "fake" sign language interpreter on stage whose gestures were unintelligible, activists said yesterday.
The interpreter was watched by millions as he stood beside speakers at the event including President Barack Obama.
Hundreds of people took to social media to express their anger at the interpreter's gestures, and several deaf groups confirmed his signing did not reflect the comments being made to honour the anti-apartheid icon.
Paul Breckell, chief executive of the U.K.-based charity Action on Hearing Loss, told NBC News: "We are shocked by the quality of sign language interpretation at Nelson Mandela's memorial — if it could be called interpretation at all."
He added that "the limited number of signs, the amount of repetition, lack of facial expressions and huge gaps in translation meant that deaf or hard of hearing people across the world were completely excluded from one of the biggest events in recent history".
Among the first to express their dissatisfaction was Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, the first deaf woman to be elected to the South African parliament, who posted on twitter that the signing was "rubbish", adding: "He cannot sign. Please get him off."
She took to the social media site several times during the day.
David Buxton, chief executive of the British Deaf Association, said in an email that "the gentleman is a total fake".
"He has no real clue about sign language and has obviously upset the deaf community of South Africa as we have received hundreds of angry messages via Facebook and Twitter," said Buxton, who was watching the ceremony with his South African-born wife.
South Africa's Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane, said the administration is looking into the incident.