Share

M-Net apologises for airing offensive Our Perfect Wedding episode

Cape Town – M-Net’s Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and the production company, Connect TV apologised for broadcasting the shocking Sunday episode of Our Perfect Wedding featuring a groom who confessed how he targeted children for sex, saying the content “was clearly offensive and wrong”.

A massive viewer furore followed the broadcast of the Our Perfect Wedding episode on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Sunday, leading to Absa abruptly pulling out as sponsor of the show as well as complaints to and an investigation by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA).

Viewers slammed the show as “a disgusting shame” for romanticising “rape culture as entertainment”.

While the Sexual Offences Act has defined that it is no longer a criminal act for children between the ages of 12 and 15 to engage in sexual activity with each other, it is still completely illegal and repugnant for an adult to prey on a 14 year-old. In this case a 28 year-old man who proudly brags about sexing underage school children.

“Mzansi Magic and its production company, Connect TV, wish to apologise for airing the episode of Our Perfect Wedding that was broadcast on 29 November,” M-Net, that supplies channels like Mzansi Magic to MultiChoice’s DStv satellite pay-TV platform, said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

“While we strive to produce quality, compelling content for our viewers, we realise more should have been done in the production and airing of this particular episode as its subject matter is clearly offensive and wrong.

“While the airing of our programmes does not mean we condone the behaviour included in them, we are reviewing our processes to ensure that this type of content is not a part of our programming schedule in the future”.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE