The Impact of Non-professional Interpreting in Some Selected Courtrooms of the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of non-professional interpreters in selected courtrooms of the Vhembe District. Korpal (2012) emphasised that employing non-professional interpreters in courtrooms can lead to serious issues, including misinterpretation of legal terminology, inaccurate translations, and violations of the accused person’s rights to a fair trial. Interpreters should be properly trained and not rely solely on their language skills. Training provides them with essential knowledge, skills, and ethical standards to perform professionally. Nonetheless, the Department of Justice in Limpopo continues to use non-professional interpreters who lack qualifications or knowledge. This study aims to assess the impact of untrained interpreters and whether their presence aids effective communication between litigants. Adopting a qualitative approach, as described by Van der Merwe (Garbers, 1996), this research sought to develop theories and understanding by exploring human behaviour and its underlying reasons. It investigates why and how decisions are made, often focusing on specific samples. Qualitative methods allow for detailed probing based on respondents’ answers. The study used the Gatekeeping Theory, which emphasises the interpreter's important role in managing information flow between speakers of different languages (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009: 265). Results indicate that most interpreters hired in courtrooms are bilingual or multilingual but not necessarily qualified, which negatively influences case outcomes. Keywords: C