An episode of a three-part documentary series entitled Shape Shifters, featuring former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, is being suspended from being aired on M-Net.
The documentary, which is a production of IdeaCandy, focuses on key South African figures in the public domain who have left their stamp on society was set to start this week on the subscription channel.
Key SuperSport sponsors apparently pressured the channel to suspend the episode due to harsh commentary in it about SA Rugby, or it would suspend its support. The episodes on prominent South African pastor Ray McCauley and politician Helen Zille are still being aired.
“[The parts that certain sponsors and role-players wanted excised would have meant] the final product would not have been sufficiently balanced,” according to Waldimar Pelser, MultiChoice director of premium channels. “The difficult decision was therefore taken not to broadcast the episode in its current form at this time.”
The episode also focuses on other aspects of De Villers’ personal life, such as the sexual-harassment allegations made against him leading to highly-publicised court proceedings.
