The public

I have tried to talk to as many of the local people of South Africa as possible. I have found that they are genuine and very open in their remarks. whether it be about the past or the present.
  I spoke to a  cab driver who took us from the hotel to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The elderly man, wearing a dress shirt, tie and light jacket, told me of his experiences and opinions.
  He told me that he remembers well the terrible times during apartheid. He still feels that although apartheid ended some time ago there is still a segregation of people based on income level which mostly affects blacks.  He lives in a township north of Johannesburg where he does not have paved roads,  electricity or running water (he uses tablets to sterilize the water), diseases are common and education for the children is not readily available. He takes a four hour train ride to get to work and even then he makes barely enough money to feed his family.- his wife, a 14 year old boy, a 22 year old girl and a 4 month old grandchild.
  He says that he plans on voting for   the splinter group of the ANC- the Congress of the People (COPE). He stated that the ANC has been making promises that have not been kept such: as better housing in the suburbs, increased jobs, increased wages and more education assistance and he hopes for a change  He commented that most of the government attention is given to the population closer to the center of Johannesburg and not in the outlying areas where it is needed.
  The cab driver went on to speak about the growing number of refugees in Johannesburg. They mainly come from Zimbabwe (whose government is in turmoil) and Nigeria. This has led to camps of refugees and increased crime as the government has no plans to assist this influx of people. 
   He asked of how "our President Obama" was doing. He noted that he hopes to have such hope in his country soon. I reminded him that we have had democracy for over 200 years and in comparison South Africa is a baby (a democratic government was formed around 1994). He hopes for a better future not just for himself but especially for his children.