The man accused of faking sign language interpretation at Nelson Mandela's memorial has said he was suffering from hallucinations at the time. South African minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said an investigation was underway into the incident.
The man accused of faking sign language interpretation while standing alongside world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial service has said he was suffering from hallucinations at the time.
Thamsanqa Jantjie said he has schizophrenia and has been violent in the past.
He said he saw "angels" entering the stadium and realised there was a problem, saying, "Sometimes I will see things that chase me. I was in a very, very difficult position."
Mr Jantjie apologised if he had offended anyone, adding, "What I was doing was my calling ,I was doing what I believe makes a difference in the country."
Having just met the sign language interpreter from Mandela's memorial, his explanation that he had a schizophrenic attack seems plausible.
Deaf organisations have complained after the man translating the speeches at Nelson Mandela's memorial service 'signed gibberish'.