Dec 12, 2013 12:23 PM EST By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The interpreter who was dubbed a "fake" and accused of being an imposter at the Nelson Mandela memorial on Tuesday said he was hallucinating and hearing voices while he was providing sign language interpretation for President Obama and other heads of states, Fox News reported.

Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, told Johannesburg's The Star newspaper he suffered a schizophrenia episode on stage which may have resulted in gestures that made no sense for deaf people around the world.

"There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation," Jantjie told the paper. "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."

Jantjie said he does not know what triggered the attack and added he took medication for his schizophrenia.

Fox News reported he did not address allegations by sign language experts "that he faked interpretations" for the memorial service that was broadcast internationally.

According to NBC News, in a radio interview, Jantjie said he was satisfied with his performance at the memorial for the former South African president, who died a week ago at age 95.

"Absolutely, absolutely. I think that I've been a champion of sign language," NBC News quoted him as saying in his Talk Radio 702 interview.

South Africa's deaf community and the ruling National Congress told reporters Wednesday they had no knowledge of who the man was, "despite him apparently appearing on television gesticulating alongside South African President Jacob Zuma last year," Reuters reported. 

According to NBC News, Jantjie said he works for an interpreting company which had been hired by the African National Congress for Tuesday's ceremony. He said he was paid $85 for the gig.

"Absolutely," he told the radio station. "That's what happened." 

Bruno Druchen, the Deaf Federation of South Africa's national director, the interpreter did not use facial expression, which in South African sign languages are an important part of communication and the signs he made with his hands were meaningless and self-invented.

"The signs the interpreter used are not used in South African Sign Language and it is a total mockery of the language," Druchen said in a statement.

He also said the Jantjie did not use the established, recognized signs for the names of Mandela, South African President Jacob Zuma and his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki.

"This proves that he is not involved in the deaf community and doesn't know South African Sign Language," Druchen said.

The service for the former South African President, who died last week at the age of 95, was held at the Johannesburg's FNB stadium and was broadcasted to millions of viewers around the world.

According to Fox News, Mandela's body will lie in Johannesburg for a third day on Friday before being flown to the Eastern Cape, where it will be buried on Sunday at his ancestral home in Qunu, 450 miles south of Johannesburg.

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