Amanda Forsythe, the invredible interpreter

Zakiya Mckenzie

zakiyam@caxton.co.za

Though it is a rather difficult task, being Ward Councillor is only a part time job for the men and women serving in City council. So you might encounter your local councillor in a career that has nothing to do with representing your area.

Amanda Forsythe is the Councillor of ward 87, but she is also a well-seasoned interpreter. She was the official interpreter for the France’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Nicole Bricq, who was in the country recently with a French delegation, including President François Hollande.

“The love of languages was passed down through the generations of my family. Some families have a bible they pass down, I have a French dictionary that was passed down to me by my father who in turn got it from my grandfather.”

Forsythe is completely bilingual and also translates from Afrikaans to English and French. Trained in Paris, she has worked for the French Embassy, the United Nations, African Union, European Union and various other private companies.

“Interpretation facilitates communication between people of different cultures and languages. Public representation is about communication also, so they are similar in that way; both facilitate understanding between people.”