TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      Sarb tells banks they should work with crypto exchanges

      18 August 2022

      Telkom muscles into banks’ turf with business loans

      18 August 2022

      iPhone 14 launch date targeted for 7 September

      18 August 2022

      Icasa moves to license more broadband spectrum

      17 August 2022

      Eskom to impose more load shedding

      17 August 2022
    • World

      China blasts US over ‘discriminatory’ Chips Act

      18 August 2022

      Tencent reports first-ever sales decline

      17 August 2022

      Chip makers are flashing a big warning for the global economy

      17 August 2022

      Semiconductor boom turns to bust

      16 August 2022

      Tencent plans to offload R400-billion Meituan stake: sources

      16 August 2022
    • In-depth

      Are you a chronic procrastinator? Read this!

      18 August 2022

      African unicorn Flutterwave battles fires on multiple fronts

      11 August 2022

      The length of Earth’s days has been increasing – and no one knows why

      7 August 2022

      As Facebook fades, the Mad Men of advertising stage a comeback

      2 August 2022

      Crypto breaks the rules. That’s the point

      27 July 2022
    • Podcasts

      Qush on infosec: why prevention is always better than cure

      11 August 2022

      e4’s Adri Führi on encouraging more women into tech careers

      10 August 2022

      How South Africa can woo more women into tech

      4 August 2022

      Book and check-in via WhatsApp? FlySafair is on it

      28 July 2022

      Interview: Why Dell’s next-gen PowerEdge servers change the game

      28 July 2022
    • Opinion

      No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

      11 July 2022

      Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

      8 July 2022

      South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

      4 July 2022

      Has South Africa’s advertising industry lost its way?

      21 June 2022

      Rob Lith: What Icasa’s spectrum auction means for SA companies

      13 June 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Africa Data Centres
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»Current affairs»Bell Pottinger expelled from industry body

    Bell Pottinger expelled from industry body

    Current affairs By Agency Staff5 September 2017
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email

    Bell Pottinger has been thrown out of the UK industry body for public relations companies in an unprecedented ruling following an investigation into work it carried out on behalf of the Gupta family in South Africa.

    The company’s actions “brought the industry into disrepute”, the Public Relations and Communications Association said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday. “It has received the harshest possible sanctions. The PRCA has never before passed down such a damning indictment of an agency’s behaviour.”

    The firm was found to have broken four clauses of the body’s code of conduct while working for the Guptas, who are friends with President Jacob Zuma and in business with his son. The rules include that members shouldn’t cause racial offence with their work and “deal fairly and honestly” with the public at all times.

    It has received the harshest possible sanctions. The PRCA has never before passed down such a damning indictment of an agency’s behaviour

    Bell Pottinger ran a social media campaign aimed at highlighting economic inequality in South Africa along racial grounds and targeted wealthy white individuals and companies, according to a probe by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

    The campaign “was by any reasonable standard of judgment likely to inflame racial discord in South Africa and appears to have done exactly that”, the PRCA said. “The committee did not find the suggestion that this theme of the campaign and its consequences were unintentional to be plausible.”

    The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s biggest opposition party, filed a complaint against Bell Pottinger with the PRCA, which began its investigation in July. The company won’t be eligible to reapply for membership of the body for at least five years. CEO James Henderson resigned on Monday, saying new leadership was needed to reform the firm.

    A report by South Africa’s graft ombudsman last year implied that the Gupta family used their political connections to influence cabinet appointments and the issuing of state contracts. Zuma and the Guptas deny the allegations, which have since intensified due to a series of leaked e-mails published by local media, including the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism.  — Reported by John Bowker, (c) 2017 Bloomberg LP

    Bell Pottinger Jacob Zuma
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleForget the crytpo naysayers: we’re all going to get rich
    Next Article Bob Skinstad brokers Knife Capital’s UK expansion

    Related Posts

    South Africa asks Dubai to extradite Gupta brothers

    25 July 2022

    State capture probe ends but South Africa remains ‘broken’ by corruption

    23 June 2022

    What it will take to bring the Guptas to justice

    22 June 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    Entelek, A2pay to roll out 2 500 free Wi-Fi sites in South Africa

    18 August 2022

    Companies are drowning in data – but solutions are at hand

    18 August 2022

    Top cybersecurity challenge is inadequate identification of key risks

    17 August 2022
    Opinion

    No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

    11 July 2022

    Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

    8 July 2022

    South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

    4 July 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.