In Johannesburg, South Africa, a new Sotho interpreter is being sought for a judgment to be given to a defendant charged with drunk driving. The defendant, Judge Nkola Motata of Pretoria High Court, crashed his Jaguar into a wall in 2007 under allegations he had been drinking heavily.

After Motata's accident, two female police officers arrived on the scene. Officer Mahsilelo indicated it was necessary to arrest Motata because she "suspected he might have consumed alcohol." Motata argued that women would not arrest him, so Mashilelo and her female partner Officer Ramafemo tried to call for male back up. Mashilelo proclaimed, "We decided to call on extra manpower to assist us. We wanted men to help us."

During Motata's trial, his attorney, Danie Dorfling, argued that Sotho testimony given by the Johannesburg metro police was not fully translated by the court interpreter. "We don't get a direct translation, but an interpretation or an impression of what the witness said," said Dorfling.

The interpreter became concerned about the dispute and asked to be taken off the case. She argued she did not want to be blamed for any incompleteness of the record due to her interpretation of courtroom dialogue.

15 September 2008