LUSAKA - The Federation of Sign Language Interpreters and Translators of Zambia (FSLITZ) has clarified that a name sign used for NRPUP president Brian Mundubile during the live broadcast of the August 2026 General Election results was not intended to mock, ridicule or entertain.
FSLITZ president Obed Mambwe said the name sign used by ZNBC sign language interpreter Joas Shikombwe originated from members of the Deaf community and was not personally invented by the interpreter.
“Shikombwe did not invent the name sign for Honourable Mundubile for entertainment, ridicule or mockery. He was applying established principles of sign language interpreting,” Mambwe said.
He explained that interpreters commonly consult members of the Deaf community to establish whether a recognised name sign already exists for prominent or well-known individuals.
Mambwe said Zambian Sign Language (ZSL) is a fully fledged language with its own grammar, vocabulary and linguistic structures, adding that descriptive signs are a legitimate part of Deaf culture.
He said Deaf communities generally use three approaches when assigning name signs: arbitrary name signs based on a person's initials, descriptive name signs based on distinctive characteristics, and combined name signs incorporating both approaches.
“Descriptive name signs may refer to characteristics such as a person's height, hairstyle, facial features, whether they wear glasses, or other distinctive characteristics,” Mambwe said.
He said descriptive signs should not automatically be interpreted as insults or body shaming because sign language is a visual and manual language in which iconic and descriptive signs naturally form part of the vocabulary.
Mambwe cited the late former Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, former politician Katele Kalumba, former minister Fackson Shamenda and Vernon Mwanga as examples of prominent public figures who have had descriptive name signs within the Deaf community.
However, he regretted that Shikombwe's interpretation had been misunderstood and subsequently used by some members of the public to mock Mundubile.
FSLITZ apologised to Mundubile, his family, friends and supporters over the way the sign language interpretation was used outside its original linguistic and cultural context.
The federation also apologised to the Deaf community, saying the incident had resulted in ZSL and the interpreter's professional delivery being misunderstood and used to ridicule the language.
Mambwe said FSLITZ had since consulted the Deaf community, which it considers the ultimate stakeholder and language authority, and agreed to revise Mundubile's name sign.
The recommended name sign for Mundubile will now simply use the initials “B” and “M” on the forehead in ZSL.
He urged the public to seek clarification from qualified interpreters and members of the Deaf community before drawing conclusions about the meaning or intention behind a particular sign.
Source: Kalemba | By: Elizabeth Muchape