SABC bans The Fish and Chips Company ad.

A video of a banned TV advetisment is doing the rounds on YouTube depicting President Zuma and his family having a Fish and Chips takeaway dinner at Nkandla.

According to HowzitMSN News:

"We are of the view that the advert implied an endorsement of the product sold by the Fish and Chip Company," SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said in a statement on Tuesday.

He said the SABC was concerned about media claims that it had banned the advertisement.

"The SABC reserves the right to exercise editorial control over all content, as per our trading terms, licence conditions, and public broadcast mandate."

Kganyago said the advert was not submitted to the SABC in time for it to examine the quality and other technical aspects.

The material needed to be received five working days before broadcast, but it only arrived on Friday shortly after 2pm. It was supposed to be aired on Monday.

Carlo Gonzaga, the chief executive of Taste Holdings, under which the Fish and Chip Company falls, said the company's advertising agency had made arrangements with the SABC for the material to be submitted at that time. On Monday the agency was told the advert had been withdrawn as it was considered too controversial.  ... Read the full article here.

News24 article states:

Paul Warner, the creative director at MetropolitanRepublic Group, the agency that made the ad, said they were told the commercial was banned because it was "degrading to the president".

"They said our [SABC] bosses have made the decision not to flight it," he was quoted saying.

Warner reportedly told the newspaper that there was nothing wrong with the ad, he did not understand how it could be pulled on the basis of being offensive without anyone complaining about it.

Carlo Gonzaga, the chief executive of Taste Holding, under which the company falls, said it was "astounding" that the SABC would take a unilateral decision on behalf of the public. "I think it's presumptuous."

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said he was not aware of the ad or any official issuing instructions for a commercial not to be aired. Read the full article here.

Either way - it will not be flighted.

I am confused. Was the ad banned because it was "degrading to the president" or because it "implied a presidential endorsement"?

Anyway, watch the video and let us know what you think?