Andiswa Gebashe
Andiswa Gebashe is a sign language interpreter for the president of South Africa.[1] She became a household name in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] She was an activist involved in getting South African Sign Language (SASL) adopted as the twelfth official language of the country of South Africa as of July 19, 2023.[3]
Early Life
[change | change source]Gebashe grew up in Soweto in the 1990s.[2] Her father is deaf.[2] Her first language was SASL.[2] Gebashe’s father is one of the few deaf stand-up comedians in South Africa, and he also translates music and theater into sign language.[2]
Career
[change | change source]Gebashe has run the consulting and interpreting company Andy Signs Productions for over ten years.[1][3]
Interpretation
[change | change source]Gebashe is a sign language interpreter for the president of South Africa.[2][1] Gebashe specifically interpreted press conferences and announcements about the coronavirus pandemic.[2][1] She works with Nicoline Du Toit to translate for the President.[2] She has also interpreted for different ministers of government and the Speaker of Parliament.[1] Gebashe works hard to translate in a way that the original speaker would speak.[2] She tries to act similar to the person who is speaking.[2] Gebashe uses clear facial expressions in her work.[2][1]
Gebashe and Du Toit's interpretation got much attention from the public because their sign language is very expressive.[2] People could see Gebashe making facial expressions that showed how they felt during the pandemic lockdown.[2] People made many memes and music videos using pictures of Gebashe and Du Toit.[2] The memes made them even more popular with people in South Africa and taught people about SASL.[2]
Comedy
[change | change source]She helps translate stand-up comedy into SASL.[3] Gebashe also hosts The Deaf Comedy Show every month in Johannesburg.[3] Her father also does stand-up comedy.[2][3]
References
[change | change source]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shange, Naledi (May 15, 2020). ""Playing president all in a day's work for sign language interpreter Gebashe"". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Brown, Ryan Lenora (2020-08-30). ""How 2 Sign Language Interpreters Became Unlikely Pandemic Stars"". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Tiwane, B. (2023, September 29). Sign Language activist Andiswa Gebashe will crack your ribs with laughter: Here is why. Citizen, The (South Africa). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current