Lance Greyling
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = Democratic Alliance (since 2014)
| office1 = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart1 = 23 April 2004
| termend1 = 28 February 2015
| citizenship = South Africa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|06|14|df=yes}}
| alma_mater = University of Cape Town
| otherparty = Independent Democrats (until 2014)
| birth_name = Lance William Greyling
}}
Lance William Greyling (born 14 June 1973) is a South African politician and civil servant who served in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2015. He was the chief whip of the Independent Democrats (ID) until 2014, when the party merged with the Democratic Alliance (DA). He also served as Shadow Minister of Energy under Opposition Leader Lindiwe Mazibuko from 2012 to 2014. Though Greyling was re-elected to his seat under the DA banner in 2014, he resigned in 2015 to work in the office of the Mayor of Cape Town.
Early life and career
Greyling was born on 14 June 1973.{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}} He has a bachelor's and honours degree from the University of Cape Town, completed in 1996.{{Cite web |title=Lance Greyling |url=https://www.africaleadership.net/fellows/class-xi-tekano/lance-greyling/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Africa Leadership Initiative |language=en}} Before entering politics, he was a manager at the GLOBE Project, where his job was equipping parliamentarians in South Africa to deal with environment and sustainable development issues.{{Cite web |title=Lance William Greyling |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/lance-william-greyling/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}}
Legislative career
= Independent Democrats: 2004–2014 =
In the 2004 general election, Greyling was elected to represent the ID in the National Assembly.{{Cite web |date=2004-04-20 |title=Few surprises on candidates lists |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2004-04-20-few-surprises-on-candidates-lists/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} He was re-elected to a second term in 2009. He was the ID's chief whip,{{Cite web |date=16 February 2011 |title=ID: Zuma silent on controversial issues |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/id-zuma-silent-on-controversial-issues-20110216 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} and he also spearheaded the ID's push to regulate the funding of political parties.{{Cite web |last=Pressly |first=Donwald |date=21 August 2006 |title=DA Kebble furore heats up |url=https://www.news24.com/fin24/da-kebble-furore-heats-up-20060821 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2011-03-10 |title=Lone MP takes issue with rules of National Assembly |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-03-10-lone-mp-takes-issue-with-rules-of-national-assembly/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In 2011, a parliamentary committee set aside a party funding bill proposed by Greyling, deciding, controversially, that it would be unconstitutional.{{Cite web |date=2011-03-18 |title=Parly stymies funding openness bid |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-03-18-parly-stymies-funding-openness-bid/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
In addition, Greyling served as the ID's spokesperson on energy.{{Cite web |date=2006-08-15 |title=Eskom found guilty of negligence |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2006-08-15-eskom-found-guilty-of-negligence/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In 2008, he and two other MPs – Gareth Morgan of the DA and Ruth Rabinowitz of the Inkatha Freedom Party – formed a non-partisan parliamentary lobby group, e-Parliament Renewable Energy Activists, to advocate for legislation on a transition to renewable energy. In this capacity, Greyling supported a private member's bill on feed-in tariffs, introduced by Rabinowitz.{{Cite web |date=2008-11-13 |title=Renewable energy gets a kick-start |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2008-11-13-renewable-energy-gets-a-kickstart/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In February 2012, DA leader Lindiwe Mazibuko appointed Greyling as Shadow Minister of Energy; the ID had by then entered into cooperation with the DA, with a merger planned.{{Cite web |date=2012-02-02 |title='Shadow cabinet' will light the way, says DA's Mazibuko |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-02-02-shadow-cabinet-will-light-the-way-says-das-mazibuko/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
= Democratic Alliance: 2014–2015 =
The ID disbanded in the 2014 general election and Greyling, along with other former ID members, formally joined the DA. He was re-elected to his legislative seat under the DA banner. However, less than a year into the term, on 28 February 2015, he resigned from Parliament in order to become director for trade and investment in the office of the Mayor of Cape Town.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greyling, Lance}}
Category:20th-century South African politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019
Category:South African civil servants
Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians