Gupta-linked thugs threatened me, reveals UK PR body boss

EDINBURGH — Much of the focus on state capture has been on the flow of funds from South African taxpayers to the Gupta and Zuma families and friends. But, there is also a sinister side to this political scandal, including threats to people's safety. The boss of UK public relations body PRCA has revealed that he was subjected to intimidation attempts and even had South African heavies "visiting" him during an investigation into the role of London-headquartered PR agency Bell Pottinger in corruption and state capture. Bell Pottinger was instructed by Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane, to carry out a propaganda campaign to incite animosity against white people and drum up support for the Zuma camp in the ANC. At the same time, Bell Pottinger worked for the South African tourism authority on a project to promote the country. Bell Pottinger collapsed after its clients dumped it en masse following revelations about its dirty deeds in South Africa. – Jackie Cameron.By Thulasizwe Sithole.PRCA director general Francis Ingham was the target of threats of violence, including home visits from South African thugs, over several months during the body's investigation into Bell Pottinger a year ago..He revealed this in the latest edition of PRWeek in an article in which he reflected on the professional practices committee's decision to expel London-headquartered Bell Pottinger for its role in state capture in South Africa..Ingham said he received threats over a sustained period. .___STEADY_PAYWALL___."Last September, the PRCA's professional practices committee (PRC) decided to expel Bell Pottinger over its work for South African resources company Oakbay Investment designed to inflame racial tensions in the country," PRWeek told its readers.."The committee concluded Bell Pottinger had breached its professional charter and public affairs code of conduct and revoked its membership, which led to a client exodus and the agency's eventual collapse.."Ingham, the public face of the PRCA inquiry into the Oakbay scandal, told PRWeek it was the most difficult period of his professional career," reports PRWeek..Ingham allegedly received hundreds of threats and endured several home visits for at least four months, while the PRCA went to extraordinary lengths to protect the identity and activities of its professional practices committee.."There were threats to me personally over a sustained period," Ingham told PRWeek. "At the start of the process people in South Africa believed, because Bell Pottinger was a member of the PRCA and one of its directors sat on our board, we would clear Bell Pottinger of any complaints made against them and the process was rigged.."Once we had made the decision about Bell Pottinger, the threats continued but from a different category of people in South Africa.."People turned up to my house in London on two occasions and on one occasion to my house in the countryside," he continued..Ingham told PRWeek the thugs that visited him were South African and that he hid the visits from his family to protect them..The PRCA chief said he was also sent "hundreds of videos" through email and social media that depicted people being killed and tortured in South Africa.."I didn't take it very seriously but it was rather unpleasant, low-grade threats.".During the investigation, the PRCA had to take extra precautions to hide the identity of professional practices committee members and the locations of meetings, noted Ingham..Read also: Bell Pottinger worked for Guptas because they passed the KPMG 'sniff test' – New Yorker."When they met with representatives of Bell Pottinger and the Democratic Alliance, the address wasn't disclosed publicly apart from to the police and we asked all parties concerned to keep the venues secret," Ingham told PRWeek.."Despite the vicious nature of the threats, Ingham said that it hadn't taken a toll on him but the decision to expel Bell Pottinger, which would invariably cost hundreds of employees their jobs, was personally taxing.."A couple of hundred people lost their jobs. For them it was incredibly painful and I felt bad for them, but the PRCA did what it had to do.."If we had taken the opposite decision and nothing had happened, then the self-regulation of the PR sector would have been a laughing stock," he commented..Despite the personal burden and damage to Bell Pottinger's staff, many of whom were unaware of the Oakbay affair, Ingham said the PRCA's decision to expel the firm was a "proud moment for the PR industry".."The overwhelming reaction of the industry was to applaud what we did and to say that Bell Pottinger was the exception [to the industry's standards]," Ingham is reported as saying.."The industry I see a year on is ethical, professional and a power for good," he added.

Gupta-linked thugs threatened me, reveals UK PR body boss

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