Buffalo City Metropolitan Speaker of Council, Humphrey Maxegwana, began his duties in July 2020. 

Maxegwana has an extensive political career. Prior his position as Speaker of Council and also Chief Whip at the Eastern Cape Legislature. He later moved on to become a Member of Parliament, where he was the Portfolio Committee Chairperson of Communications, and later on became elected as Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. 

In his formative years, Maxegwana joined the South African Student Movement (SAZM) after completing his Matric in 1974. He later joined the Black People’s Convention (BPC) under the leadership of Steve Biko. In 1977.

He was recruited to the African National Congress (ANC) where he has remained an unfaltering member to this day. 

Maxegwana and his comrades took the initiative to form the trade union, South African Allied Workers Union (SAAWU) to start ‘unity talks’ towards one federation in one country. This process led to the formation of Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) in 1985. 

He served two successive terms on the Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) under the ANC. 

During his time at the National Assembly in 2014, Maxegwana also served in different roles in the 5th administration of a democratically ANC led government: 

•    Whip for Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries;

•    Portfolio Committee Chairperson: Communications; and 

•    Chairperson: Ethics Committee.