THE WORST WORLD'S MAFIAS

Once upon a time there was just the mafia, which started out in Sicily but wound up running New York. Understanding how they did it was relatively straightforward too: all you had to do was to watch the Godfather trilogy, or one or two of Martin Scorsese's brilliant wise-guy movies.
These days it seems many more countries have crime organisations of their own. Equally vile, just as violent, just as corrupt and in some cases perhaps even more pervasive - and always with a local twist.
From Japan's Yakuza to Kenya's Mungiki, MSN investigates 10 of the world's worst mafias.

Yakuza (Japan)
Calling themselves ninkyō dantai or 'chivalrous organisations', Japan's crime elite are perhaps best known for their extensive tattoos and the gruesome practice of yubitsume. The latter is a requirement for anyone who offends his fellow gang member to sever his own finger, a traditional way of weakening a fighter's grip on his own sword.
Numbers are thought to have declined steadily since the 1990s, although estimates still suggest that as many as 85,000 mostly male members make up the five leading yakuza gangs

Unione Corse (France)
Active on Corsica and in the Mediterranean port of Marseilles, the Unione Corse (UC) is not thought to have spread much further afield. Hugely secretive, it may comprise just a dozen or so families.
Claims have also been made for a more respectable role during the second world war, with gang members 'executing' Nazi collaborators on behalf of the resistance. This has yet to be verified, as has the suggestion that UC enforcers were paid by the government to attack communist strikers in 1948

Triads (China)
Claiming they opposed the Manchu invasion during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), China's triads have nevertheless since provided the archetype of the violent oriental gangster. They comprise many individual gangs which number anything between a few dozen or several thousand members and wield considerable influence whilst keeping an impressively low profile.
Operating internationally for many years, the triads are thought to be particularly active in the hi-tech arena, gradually expanding their expertise at counterfeiting money and goods to pirating computer software, CDs and DVDs. Violence or the threat of it naturally underpins their activities, and bloodthirsty initiation ceremonies are not uncommon

Srpska Mafija (Serbia)
Made up of Serbs, Croats, Bosnians and Albanians, a number of organised gangs came to prominence in the chaos which followed the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. That said, one so-called godfather, Ljuba Zemunac, was already active in Italy and Germany at the time of his murder by a rival in 1986.
More recently the gangs have spread throughout the EU, but at home remain particularly well connected. There are, for example, rumours of many powerful connections among local and national politicians and, until his death in 2006, former president Slobodan Milošević was said to have protected their interests in exchange for favours.

'Ndrangheta (Italy)
What the Camorra are to Campania, this lot are to Calabria. They have dominated crime in the 'toe' of Italy since the 1860s. Back then it was to rob and blackmail the galantuomini, rich landowners held responsible for the region's high levels of local taxation.
For around 100 years they remained a mostly local organisation, but in the mid-1970s moved into the kidnap business with a particular penchant for rich northerners. One victim is thought to be John Paul Getty III but a vow of silence (omerta) has so far prevented this from being confirmed.

Mungiki (Kenya)
A Kikuyu word meaning 'united people', the Mungiki were banned in 2002 but still operate openly in Mathare, a slum district of Nairobi. An almost total lack of any official law enforcement has allowed gang members to fill the vacuum whilst profiting from East Africa's urban poor.
The gangs reject many western practices in favour of often barbaric local traditions. They are also implicated in many horrific killings, in particular the beheading of matatu (minibus-taxi) drivers who refuse to join them
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La Eme (Mexico/America)
Deriving its name from the Spanish letter M, the so-called Mexican mafia recently celebrated a half-century of operations and is now well established in California. Claims have been made for a religious (ie Aztec/Mayan) dimension but their activities mostly include murder, gun-running, drug trafficking, kidnapping, prostitution, extortion and illegal gambling.
In the early days new members were recruited whilst in jail, hostile environments where particular ethnic minorities often group together for self-protection. However, defence rapidly turned to offence against other inmates, and upon being released members found themselves with a readymade hierarchy well-suited to future criminal endeavour.

Cosa Nostra (Italy)
'Our cause', or more informally 'this thing of ours', is, as an informer told US authorities in the early 1960s, how the mafiosi refer to themselves. The origins of the organisation lie in the harsh conditions of 19th century Sicily when clans or families (borgatas) came together for their mutual benefit.
Emigration took family members to the US, where crimes such as gun-running, racketeering and bootlegging during the Prohibition era soon gave a minority of America's relatively small Italian community an economic power and press profile out of all proportion to its size.

Bratva (Russia)
The first of the new mafias to enter the public consciousness, numerous gangs - the name is slang for 'brotherhood' - rose from the ashes of communism in the early 1990s.
Like the Sicilians, their influence has spread through mass emigration as thousands of Russians sought a better life in Europe and the US.

Camorra (Italy)
Predating most of its Italian rivals, the Camorra has its origins in the Campania region and is thought to date back to the 15th century when this area was ruled from Spain. With American and even Scottish branches, they are still strong in Naples and have several hugely profitable waste-disposal contracts.
The gangs' other profit-making focal points are the usual ones: drug trafficking and distribution operations; cigarette-and people-smuggling schemes; loansharking and construction projects.

Hata kwetu vipo

Hivi karibuni nimekuwa nikifuatilia post nyingi za Mjengwa blog.Kuna post alizoonyesha jinsi alivyotembelea Ruaha National Park ni 'experience nzuri.' Hii inawezekana kabisa ni kufanya uamuzi tu. Inabidi kutembelea vivutio vyetu vya asili, lakini nafikiri kwa wengi mtazamo wetu ni uleule wa zamani.Hata walio jirani huenda hawajui kinachoendelea kwenye mbuga zetu za Taifa.(Picha kwa hisani ya Mjengwa blogKudzu wa Ruaha National Park
Watoto wa Maggid wakiwa kwenye Park ya Ruaha
Twiga wetu
Pundamilia wanapendeza

Baba anapokuwa karibu na wanae

Hivi akina baba wangapi tumeshawahi kupanga safari ya pamoja na watoto wetu bila ya mama yao? Mwenzetu Maggid amefanikiwa sana kwa hilo. Mara nyingi yuko na wanawe. Anasafiri nao, anacheza nao wanajadiliana hivyo wamemzoea, wanampenda. Hayo ndiyo maisha. Wengine je?

Maggid - Menu imeficha perege!

Kama kuna vitu ambavyo Maggid huvipenda ni chakula kilichoandaliwa vizuri na hasa vile vya kulumagia (Tabia ya Wazaramo hiyo). Anapotoka Iringa kwenda Dar hakosi kupitia kwa Bi.Mkora wa Msamvu na kupata msosi mvuri aupendao. Hivi majuzi aliandaliwa msosi huu ambao umekosa samaki aina ya perege!(Picha kwa hisani ya Mjengwa Blog)

Mjengwa na kwao Nyeregete

Mara nyingi huwa nasoma Blog ya Mjengwa. Pia namfahamu Mjengwa tangu wakati akiwa anaandikia gazeti la RAI, alipokuwa SWEDEN na kuna wakati alinitembelea nilipokuwa naishi Temeke Veterinary.Aliwahi pia kusaidia jezi Klabu yetu ya Mpira ya BERLIN (MILA)ya Temeke Veterinary.

Kwa jinsi ninavyomfahamu, Mjengwa ni Mzalendo na anauchungu wa nchi hii. Hana makuu. Atakuonyesha alipokuwa anaishi-Kinondoni kwa mama yake, marafiki zake, chakula anachopenda na hujali sana muda na ahadi. Maggid akisema atakutemebelea ni kweli atafika kwa muda uliopangwa.

Tangu aliporudi nchini Maggid hakosi kwenda nyumbani kwao Nyeregete-Mbarali ambako ni asili ya baba yake huko kuna dada zake, kaka zake, baba wakubwa na wadogo shangazi zake, babu na majirani.Nafahamu pia mama yake Maggid ni Mzaramo. Kwa kufanya hivyo, Maggid anawafahamu watu wake, ndugu zake,mazingira wanamoishi,uzalishaji wao. Anajitahidi kwa kila hali kuwatoa mahali walipo na kuwafikisha mahali fulani hata kama kwa uelewa tu. Angalia daraja analovuka ili kufika kijijini kwao Nyeregete! Hayo yote Mjengwa haandiki kufurahisha watu anataka watu wafahamu hali halisi ya vijiji vyetu. Mjengwa si Mbunge! Lakini amethubutu (Picha zote kwa hisani ya Mjengwa BLOG
Mjengwa na dada yake nyumbani kwao Nyeregete
Mjengwa akiwa na walimu na wanafunzi kijijini kwao Nyeregete

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Unapokuwa na sapoti ya viongozi kama hawa kwani nini usishinde? Kushoto mwenye suti nyeupe Mh.Samwel Sitta Waziri wa Afrika ya Mashariki,katikati mwenye suti ya rangi ya udongo Mh.Frederick Sumaye Waziri Mkuu Mstaafu wa awamu ya tatu,said El Maamry mwenye cap,Mbunge kijana Zitto Kabwe mwenye jezi nyekundu alieinua vidole wakitoa company ya nguvu kwa Mwenyekiti wa Simba Mh.Aden Rage aliyevaa shati jekundu huku akitabasamu. Waliokaa niliyeweza kumtambua mara moja ni Kassim Dewji mmoja wa kikundi cha Friends of Simba. Yuko wapi Mh. Tibaijuka? Simba hatujifichi.Hapa masuala ya siasa pembeni Simba imewaunganisha. Ningekuwepo ningekuwa karibu ya Dewji!

Mashabilki chachu ya ushindi

Unapokuwa na washabiki kama hawa ujue unachinjwa tu. Hebu angalia 'damu' iliyopo uwanjani'.Eh kidedea.

Sunzu akaongeza la pili

Felix Sunzu aliihakikishia Simba ushindi kwa kufunga bao la pili.

Emmanueal Okwi mfungaji wa goli la kwanza

Kama kawaida yake Emmanuel Okwi mfungaji wa goli la kwanza aliichachafya sana ngome ya El Satif hasa kipindi cha pili na kufanikiwa kupata goli la kwanza(Picha kwa hisani ya Michuzi blog)

Kombe la Shirikisho la Afrika-Simba yaitungua EL Satif ya Algeria 2-0

Picha kwa hisani ya Michuzi blog
Nikiwa hapa Mananga, Swaziland kwa kumpitia mtandao nimepata kufuatilia pambano la mchezo wa Kombe la Shirikisho la Afrika kati ya Simba Sports Club ya Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania na El Satif ya Algeria. Matokeo Simba 2 El Satif 0. Kwa mujibu wa Coulds FM radio magoli hayo yamefungwa na Emmanuel Okwi na Felix Sunzu.Clouds mko juu sana wanangu hongereni!

Ubungo ya Mbabane

Kituo cha magari jijini Mbabane.

Kituo cha magari cha jijini Mbabane Swaziland ni kidogo kwa ukubwa,idadi ya magari na pia hakina uzio.Ukilinganisha na chetu cha Ubungo, jijini Dar.Ubungo watu ni wengi, magari ni mengi na pilika ni nyingi. Hapa Swaziland daladala zipo za kutosha vingi ni vipanya vinaingia hadi katikati ya jiji. Mabus ya kwenda mikoani ni yale marefu ya kizamani!Lakini barabara zao ni nzuri. Kuhusu usafi wa jiji naona ni vizuri tukajifunza kutoka Mbabane.

Nimesali Kanisa la Mt.Dolorosa-Mbabane,Swaziland

Leo Jumapili nimebahatika kusali katika Kanisa Katoliki la Mt. Dolorosa lililoko jijini Mbabane-Swaziland.Ni bahati iliyoje kusali kwenye Kanisa ambalo jina lake ni jina la mama mdogo Dolorasa wa Makuburi, Dar.

Kanisa hili ni kubwa kiasi na limejengwa kwa muundo wa msalaba.Ibada niliyohudhuria iliendeshwa kwa lugha ya Kiingereza. Ibada katika kanisa hili huendesha kwa lugha kuu tatu-Kiswati,Kiingereza na Kireno. Kwa kawaida misa ya pili saa 2.00 ni ya Kiingereza na saa 4.30 ni Kiswati kila Jumapili. Lakini Jumapili ya kwanza na ya tatu ya mwezi misa ya pili huwa ni ya Kireno.
Nilichoona.
Taratibu zote za ibada ni sawa kabisa kama tunavyoendesha ibada zetu(katoliki)Tanzania. Tatizo ni lile lile vijana wanaohudhuria ibada ni wachache. Utoaji wa sadaka bado ni mdogo na sarafu hotelwa pia!Ingawa hawatangazi kilichopatikana. (huenda wanaweka kwenye mbao za matangazo). Sikuona vipaji hapa (nafikiri sisi tunafanya vizuri).Wachelewaji wapo, na hata baada ya mahubiri hurusihusiwa kuingia.

Hata hivyo nimefurahishwa na utaratbu wanaoutumia wa kutenga sehemu za mbele kwa ajili ya watoto wadogo.Mabechi yao ni kama ya wakubwa tu. Nao huingia kanisani baada ya kutoa sadaka, nafikiri kabla ya hapo huwa na Sunday school (sina uhakika)halafu hupewa fursa ya kuimba angalau wimbo mmoja (waliimba kwa Kiswati).Pia hakuna matangazo yasiyo ya lazima na misa inaanza kwa wakati uliopangwa. Nilipomuuliza Chris Sibandze (siyo mkatoliki) kwanini vijana hawaendi kanisani alinijibu pengine wanavutiwa zaidi na makanisa yaliyoibuka siku hizi ambayo huendesha ibada hata kwenye viwanja vya mpira na hakuna anayejali na kinachoendelea!Nakushukuru sana Bw. Chris kwa kunipeleka kanisani.Katikati ya jiji hili la Mbabane ndipo lilipo Kanisa Katoliki Mt.Dolorosa.

Maguga Dam kivutio cha watalii

Serikali ya Swaziland inaendelea kuendeleza Mradi wa Bwawa la Maguga kuwa kivutio cha watalii. Tayari mwekezaji amefungua mgahawa wa kisasa kando ya bwawa hilo. Banzi wa Moro alipotembelea Maguga alikuta pia maandalizi ya kujenga sehemu ya kucheza ngoma za asili.Bwawa la Maguga
Kutoka kushoto Elias Shosi, Banzi wa Moro na Collins Kamalizeni mhadhiri wa Mananga Centre
Mgahawa
Ndani ya mgahawa

Ng'ombe wa Swaziland

Ng'ombe ni alama ya utajiri kwa Waswati.Hutunzwa vizuri na nyama yake kwa kweli ni tamu. Utaratibu uliowekwa na serikali ya Swaziland inapojengwa barabara kuu ni kuwekwa uzio wa sengénge ili ngómbe na wanyama wengine wasivuke barabara na kugongwa.

Vijana wa Kiswati wakionyesha machejo

Kucheza ngoma ya Kiswati inahitaji mazoezi ya nguvu.Miguu hurushwa juu sana na kushuka chini kwa kishindo kwa kufuata mdundo wa ngoma huku akina dada wakiimba. Inapofika zamu ya kina dada kucheza nao hurusha miguu juu ndiyo aina ya uchezaji ngoma kusini mwa Afrika.Huyo dogo katikati ni mwisho wa reli. Anapiga ngoma na kucheza kwa msisimko wa Kiswati!


Mhadhiri Collins Kamlizeni kutoka Mananga (shati jeupe) haamini macho yake.

Nyama choma Mantenga Cultural Village

Banzi wa Moro anageuza nyama iive haraka.Kulia ni Msajili wa Mananga Centre of Management Development Aunt Joyce.
Shosi naye ilibidi ageuze nyama na kuchagua kipande anachopenda! Katikati aliyevaa fulana ya punda milia ni Chris Sibandze.
Tulijiandaa na nyama zetu,ugali,juice na hata mvinyo kwa aliyependa!Kushoto mwenye shirt ya polo kijani ni Mhadhili wa IT chuoniMananga Bw.Simbarashe akisubiri mambo yawe sawa.

Chris Sibandze

Kwa waliosoma Mananga Centre of Management Development jina la Chris Sibandze si geni. Kwani kwa kawaida huyu ndiye anayekupkea kutoka airport ya Matsapha na kukufikisha chuoni. Ni mwelewa na anafanya shughuli nyingi. Unajua kazi yake, nchi yake na utamaduni wao.Utakueleza mambo mengi yanayohusu Swaziland ukitaka. Sijawahi kumuona akikunja uso.Pichani Chris akiwa kwenye banda kijiji cha utamaduni Mantenga akifurahi ngoma.

Sijasahau kilimo

Hapa nipo kwenye mradi unaojilikana kama Swaziland Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (SWADE)Aina hii ya papai ilinivutia sana. Majani yake ni mapana na matunda yana ukubwa wa wastani lakini kila mti huzaa matunda mengi.Bei ya mche mmoja wa mpapai ni Emalangeni30 sawa na shilingi za kitanzania 6,000/=

Na hapa mimi na Mtanzania mwenzangu Bw. Elias Shosi tukiangalia vitalu vya mboga (vitunguu,nyanya,mipapai,kabichi,pilipili).Ukinunua mche unapewa risti hapohapo bustanini. Good management.Is n't it!

Manzini nayo

Hizi ni sehemu tu ya jiji la Manzini. Maisha hapa ni moto ukizubaa unaibiwa mwanangu siyo kama Mbabane jiji la utulivu.Hata hivyo nyumba za kupanga hapa bei ni poa kuliko Mbabane. Mbabane ni mji wa wazito!

Jiji la Mbabane-Swaziland

Jiji la Mbabane nchini Swaziland na Makao Makuu ya Serikali na Manzini ni jiji la biashara.Mbabane imejengwa mlimani. Hapa hakuna viwanda ni nyumba za ofisi za kazi, nyumba za kuishi na nyumba za biashara.

Msichana wa Kiswati akionyehsa umahiri wake wa kucheza ngoma

Jumamosi ya tarehe 17/3/2012 Chuo cha Mananga kilituandalia safari ya kutembelea kijiji cha Utamaduni cha Mantenga ambacho hakipo mbali sana na Chuo. Baada ya kuelezwa maisha ya asili ya familia ya Kiswati tulipata burudani ya ngoma ya asili. Pichani mwanadada akionyesha umahiri wake katika kucheza ngoma ya Kiswati.

Lazima uwasilishe Mpango Kazi

Chuo cha Menejimenti cha Mananga Swaziland kina utarartibu mzuri kwa wote wanaopata mafunzo ya muda mfupi chuoni hapo. Kabla ya kuhitimu ni lazima uwasilishe Mpango Kazi (Action Plan) utakaoutekeleza mara urudipo kazini kutokana na majukumu yako na tatizo lilopo na madhumuni ya kutatua tatizo hilo kwa lengo lililowekwa. Jana wahitimu waliwasilisha Action plan zao.Pichani Elias Shosi kutoka Wizara ya Fedha, Tanzania akiwasilisha Mpango Kazi wake.
Mcebo Dlamini kutoka Swaziland
Bi.Bonisiwe Mabuza kutoka Swaziland
Chuo cha Menejimenti cha Mananga Swaziland kina utarartibu mzuri kwa wote wanaopata mafunzo ya muda mfupi chuoni hapo. Kabla ya kuhitimu ni lazima uwasilishe Mpango Kazi (Action Plan) utakaoutekeleza mara urudi kazini kutokana na majukumu yako na tatizo lilopo na madhumuni ya kutatua tatizo hilo kwa lengo lililowekwa. Jana wahitimu waliwasilisha Action plan zao.

Mfalme wa Kariakoo-Matombo?

Hapana. Hili ni vazi la Taifa la Kiswazi.Mfalme huvaa hivi, watemi(chiefs) huvaa hivi ni vazi lenye hadhi. Waswazi hulipenda vazi lao hawaoni aibu ndiyo utamaduni wao. Halikuja kwa kuundiwa kamati!