Abstract
Since the inception of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), much has been
done to professionalize interpreting in South Africa in terms of accreditation, training and
research. Yet two incidents in particular, namely the memorial service of the late
President Nelson Mandela and the Oscar Pistorius trial highlighted the gap between
theory and practice and strengthened the common perception that South African
interpreters are incompetent. This article investigates these common perceptions by
focusing mainly on media reports on interpreting, in general, and the events surrounding
the sign language interpreting services rendered during the widely televised memorial
service and the equally widely covered Pistorius trial, in particular. Criticisms in the
media voiced from within the interpreting profession by academics and SATI1 accredited
interpreters, and aimed mainly at the Department of Justice during the Pistorius trial, also
receive attention. It is concluded that the struggle remains for insight into what
interpreters can and cannot do, the conditions required for optimal interpreting
performance and the misperception that anyone who speaks two languages, can interpret
between them.