Q&A

What is the scandal about?

BELL Pottinger is mired in controversy over the 2016 campaign it ran for Oakbay Capital, a South African company owned by the Gupta brothers. For £100,000 a month, the UK firm launched an underhand smear campaign exploiting South Africa’s racial divisions to deflect attention from the Guptas’ troubled reputation.

What did Bell Pottinger do?

It set up a fake blog, WMC Leaks, and fake Twitter accounts which stirred up anger about the wealth held by white South Africans. Twitter users were paid to spread propaganda and ‘troll’ journalists who questioned their claims. Some writers were subjected to sexual slurs and reportedly even had their homes vandalised. There were also reports of people being paid to stage protests and digital ‘bots’, or software, being used to amplify fake news stories.

Why did the Guptas want to deflect attention?

They are accused of being far too close to South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and influencing his decisions for their own benefit. One of the more extreme allegations comes from Mcebisi Jonas, the former deputy finance minister, who claimed he was offered a promotion to finance minister. Their reputation took such a bashing that by last year, South Africa’s four major banks reportedly closed accounts connected to the family.

Why has this been brought up now?

The scandal erupted earlier this year with the publication of the ‘Gupta Leaks’ – an anonymously sourced trove of information about their power and methods. It includes emails with Bell Pottinger, laying bare the UK PR firm’s underhand tactics. The agency ended its Oakbay account in April but a review, commissioned by Bell Pottinger from law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, was published on Monday and confirmed that the campaign had been ‘potentially racially divisive’. It concluded the firm breached ‘ethical principles’ and blamed management for failing to have enough safeguards.