WEB BUZZ MAFIA

Move over Vito Corleone, the Amish mafia is out for retribution. A new Discovery channel television series “ Amish Mafia ” is set to premiere Dec. 12 and will explore the underground lives of a vigilante Mennonite group seeking eye-for-an-eye justice for crimes against their community members . The series focuses on the leader of this mafia group , Lebanon Levi, a Mennonite who was never baptized and so can remain distanced from the church, and his cohort, who are identified as Alvin, Jolin and John. The Amish mafia in the show, which is set in Lancaster, Pa., flaunt their body tattoos , drive cars, use cell phones and, most importantly, shoot guns. The technology these self-identified mafia members use are not approved by their church , which is characterized by the show as “looking the other way.” “The [ Amish ] Church denies that the Amish Mafia exists — yet, like any other person in a community who holds power, the Amish know who to go to if there’s a problem...

South Africa came last in an evaluation of maths and science education across the world Education in Eastern Cape is allegedly controlled by a clique that uses blackmail and intimidation to keep its members' pockets full. A two-month investigation by The Times's sister publication, The Herald , also revealed claims by female education department officials that they are pressurised at out-of-town junkets into having sex with "top dogs" in exchange for a promotion. The clique - dubbed the Education Mafia - has infiltrated a number of the provincial department's 28 directorates, with some members holding key positions. This allegedly enables them to manipulate tender procedures and financial plans, influence policy discussions and stymie internal investigations. The group has also allegedly drawn up a ''hit list'' of education officials its members want fired for standing in their way . The deputy direc...