Bell Pottinger acted to deal with mistakes

BELL POTTINGER STATEMENT:

Three months ago, Bell Pottinger announced that it had decided to cease work for Oakbay Capital. We had worked for them for a year, following a competitive bid process.

When we terminated our work with Oakbay, we said we were doing so because of increasingly strong social media attacks on our staff and our business from South Africa, and that we regarded the criticisms of what our team had done as unfair.

These attacks on, and criticisms of, our staff continued and were clearly the result of strong and sincere anger. Most seriously, it was said that we had supported or aided campaigns to stir up racial division in South Africa.

Therefore, we called in the leading independent international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP to review the account and the work done on it.

That investigation is still continuing and will be completed in the next few weeks. We intend to publish the findings of that report and take appropriate action.

However, we have already been shown interim evidence which has dismayed us. Much of what has been alleged about our work is, we believe, not true – but enough of it is to be of deep concern.

There has been a social media campaign that highlights the issue of economic emancipation in a way that we, having now seen it, consider to be inappropriate and offensive.

At various points throughout the tenure of the Oakbay account, senior management have been misled about what has been done. For it to be done in South Africa, a country which has become an international beacon of hope for its progress towards racial reconciliation, is a matter of profound regret and in no way reflects the values of Bell Pottinger.

Though the inquiry is ongoing, we have dismissed the lead partner involved and suspended another partner and two employees so that we can determine their precise role in what took place.

As soon as we were made aware that we had been misled and that work was being done which goes against the core of our ethical policies, we acted immediately.

At Bell Pottinger – a proudly diverse and international team – we have good, decent people who will be as angered by what has been discovered as we are.

We wish to issue a full, unequivocal and absolute apology to anyone affected. These activities should never have been undertaken. We are deeply sorry that this happened.

JAMES HENDERSON Chief executive Bell Pottinger

THE Save South Africa campaign demands full disclosure from Bell Pottinger about the exact nature of its dirty tricks campaigns while contracted to the Guptas’ Oakbay companies.

An apology is insufficient and unacceptable in the circumstances.

Bell Pottinger, in partnership with its client, sowed racial mistrust, hatred and race-baiting, and divided society. This British company has further polarised South African society and left scars in our social fabric. THE DA welcomes Bell Pottinger’s apology and the dismissal of key employees and partners who were at the forefront of its racially divisive campaign in South Africa on behalf of the Guptas and President Zuma.

However, this is not enough.the DA has reported the company to Uk-based regulatory bodies for its role in initiating campaigns to stir racial tension.

If this apology is serious, the company must fully disclose all its dealings with the It cannot be left to hide behind spin and say it was “misled”. This attempted naivety is unacceptable from a company with a global history of disinformation and dirty tricks. We demand to know who it worked with in South Africa, what its brief was, who provided it – and, importantly, who it was “misled” by. We also demand to know: whether it channelled money to front organisations that fuelled further division, such as Black First Land First and the Decolonisation Foundation.

DA reports PR firm to UK regulatory bodies

Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma. It should also commit to using all profits obtained from Gupta business deals to investing in building schools or any developmental NGOS in South Africa. Until then, the apology is but a PR stunt brought on by public pressure. We intend to pursue the matter with the Public Relations and Communications Association. – Phumzile van Damme, DA spokesperson on communications