The first day we visited Soweto. This is an area just outside Johannesburg that was established as the place where blacks were forced to move to during the early days of and throughout Apartheid. There were no services or infrastructure of any kind and people were forced to live in make shift shanty towns. There are still shanty sections were now the primary residents are illegal residents that are trying to avoid deportation and the very low income citizens of the area.
There are a lot of street vendors that are striving to make a living.
There were portable service oriented stations such as this barber shop.
This is a wreath of twigs and wild sage. They are burned for use as a cleansing of the air in tribal rituals such as when they need to communicate with their ancestors and to carry prayers to heaven. There is an interesting mixture of old tribal rituals and Christianity as well as other religions.
Many of tHe high rise housing buildings downtown Soweto are occupied by squatters. There was a law that a landlord could not evict a tenant until they had secured alternate housing for them. So knowing this tenants quit making rent payments and the landlords abandoned the buildings rather than continue to make tax payments and maintain them. The squatters also tap into the electric grid illegally. If electric service is disconnected they start building fires in the rooms.
Will do Johannesburg later on.
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