Bell Pottinger submits appeal

SHAUN SMILLIE

BRITISH public relations firm Bell Pottinger will appeal the findings that it stoked racial tensions in South Africa through its media campaign.

The DA said yesterday that Bell Pottinger had submitted the appeal to the UK’s Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

The PRCA management board said it would meet on Monday and would issue a ruling on Tuesday.

The DA had complained to the industry board about a campaign that used the term “white monopoly capital” to describe opponents of President Jacob Zuma.

Part of the complaint involved claims revealed by the Gupta leak e-mails that suggested that Zuma’s son Duduzane had used Bell Pottinger to skew ANC communication on policies to benefit the Guptas.

In a BBC interview, Duduzane said he had been hired by the Gupta family because he was a “likeable” guy and that he was not involved in any corruption charges.

Last week the PRCA found that the PR firm had violated its charter which stated that members should take “all reasonable care that professional duties are conducted without causing offence on the grounds of gender, race, religion, disability or any other form of discrimination”.

The maximum penalty the firm could face is termination of its PRCA membership.

Yesterday the DA reiterated its call that Bell Pottinger reveal all its dealings with the Guptas and reinvest all the money they had made back into South Africa.