It took him more than half a century to get into politics and just over three years to get out of it. Businessman, Herman Mashaba, surprised many when he joined the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance on his way to become mayor of Johannesburg, one of Africa’s biggest and richest cities. He tried a number of reforms and survived votes of no-confidence in him and the shaky alliance with the eff. The election of former party leader, Helen Zille to a powerful post signalled the end. CNBC Africa’s Karabo Letlhatlha filed this report.