MBOMBELA – “This is your chance to make a huge difference in our community. All it takes is a small contribution.” These are the words of Bossies Community Justice’s newly elected chairman, Armand van der Merwe.
BCJ is a non-profit organisation with the main objective of enabling fast reaction times when life-threatening incidents arise in the Lowveld. Since 2010, BCJ’s crime-fighters have contributed greatly to crime prevention in the area.
Armand was elected last month and succeeds acting chairman, Charl Breytenbach. Although he is a businessman, crime-fighting has always been important to him.
His father, Gen Johan van der Merwe, was South Africa’s police commissioner until he retired in 1995.
BCJ operational manager, Albert Gryvenstein has great respect for Armand and described him as a force to be reckoned with. “We’ve never left a stone unturned in the fight against crime, but I see us excelling even more in the future,” Gryvenstein told Lowvelder.
BCJ’s 24/7 helpline is available to all residents free of charge. Its two employees, Albert Gryvenstein and Danie Theron, are both highly qualified and armed with the latest crime-fighting technology. Danie is a qualified dog handler, swift water-rescue technician, aircraft accident scene investigator and tracker.
Albert is an expert in vehicle tracking, and has access to more than 25 tracking companies’ databases.
Also read: Will local businessman hang by December?
They also make use of sniffer and tracking dogs. The organisation operates solely on donations. Without it, funding BCJ’s operations becomes impossible.
Armand called on locals to contribute to BCJ’s cause as they also get a tax benefit from it. BCJ was registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) earlier this year.
This means that donations made to BCJ can be deducted from payers’ taxable income. SARS’ Basic Guide to Tax-Deductible Donations explains how this works. Any person who donates to BCJ must request a receipt issued in terms of section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Also read: Hangman’s Rupert a local gem
This receipt must be submitted to SARS during the relevant year of assessment. The donation may then be deducted from the donor’s taxable income.
The donation amount that will qualify for tax exemption is limited. These limits are calculated by SARS and differ from individual to individual. If a donation exceeds the limit, the excess may be carried forward and deducted from the next year’s tax due.
“So many people complain about our high crime levels and lacking law enforcement,” said Armand. He concluded that contributing to the BCJ cause addresses the problems and creates a safer community for all.
• Bossies Community Justice’s 24/7 helpline number is 082-567-5212.
