Eric Lucas (politician)

Eric James Lucas (born 21 January 1937) is a retired South African politician who represented the Inkatha Freedom Party (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2013. He resigned from his seat in January 2013.

Eric Lucas
Member of the National Assembly
In office
9 May 1994 – 15 January 2013
Personal details
Born (1937-01-21) 21 January 1937
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyInkatha Freedom Party

Parliamentary career: 1994–2013

Lucas was born on 21 January 1937.[1] He was elected to the National Assembly in the 1994 general election, South Africa's first under universal suffrage.[2] He served for close to four consecutive terms, gaining re-election in 1999,[1] 2004,[3] and 2009;[4] he represented the KwaZulu-Natal constituency. He resigned from his seat on 15 January 2013 and was replaced by Sibongile Nkomo.[5]

In September 2013, the Mail & Guardian published investigative reporting which purported to uncover possible misconduct by Lucas during his term in Parliament, in particular in connection with a Gold Fields mining deal concluded in 2010, when Lucas was a member of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources.[6] AmaBhungane said it had seen a leaked copy of a 2010 memo by the personal assistant of Gayton McKenzie, who had acted as a consultant on the deal. In the memo, McKenzie advised that Lucas should be awarded shares because he had "played a pivotal role in lobbying for the South Deep license" (a mining license required by Gold Field for deal to go through).[6] Further investigation by American law firm Paul, Weiss found that Lucas had "nominate[d] Nicole Lucas [his daughter] to represent his interests", since it would be inappropriate for him to receive the shares personally; Paul, Weiss concluded that Gold Fields had used a front company to conceal the award of shares to Lucas (and to his colleague Musa Zondi), possibly as a form of influence-peddling and possibly in breach of anti-corruption laws.[6] Lucas did not respond to the allegations.[7]

References
  1. "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. "Minutes of proceedings of the Constitutional Assembly" (PDF). Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. 24 May 1994. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. "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" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  4. "Eric James Lucas". People's Assembly. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  5. "Members of the National Assembly". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  6. "Gold Fields 'graft' shaft went deeper". The Mail & Guardian. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  7. "Gold Fields link to Duduzile Zuma". The Mail & Guardian. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
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