NelspruitLowveld Local | Jacques Meiring & Hennie Visser – Nelspruit https://showme.co.za/nelspruit Nelspruit, South Africa for all your local and tourism information; from accommodation to events, entertainment, attractions and news - ShowMe Nelspruit | T Feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:45:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://showme.co.za/nelspruit/?p=45057 Lowveld Local | Jacques Meiring & Hennie Visser https://showme.co.za/nelspruit/interactive/local-personalities/lowveld-local-jacques-meiring-hennie-visser/ Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:10:16 +0000 Most of us know that Bossies Community Justice (BCJ) is the non-profit organisation whose main objective it is to enable faster...]]> Most of us know that Bossies Community Justice (BCJ) is the non-profit organisation whose main objective it is to enable faster response times when a life-threatening incident or emergency arises within Nelspruit and the greater Lowveld region.  But not all of us know the two brave men behind BCJ. ShowMe Nelspruit speaks to Jacques Meiring and Hennie Visser to find out more about the life of a crime fighter.
Hennie Visser (left) and Jacques Meiring (right) from Bossies Community Justice.

Hennie Visser (left) and Jacques Meiring (right) from Bossies Community Justice.

Now that there are two of you, will there be a second dog?

Jacques: We got Bossie (Jacques Labrador) as a working dog. He has been a great ambassador for BCJ and also works as a tracking dog. Vissie already has his own dog, he has a Belgian Shepard that will be working with Bossie.

 

Who were you before Bossies Community Justice?

Jacques: I was a paramedic and fireman for 17 years before I got involved with the police dog unit for another 7 years. I then recovered vehicles for Tracker, but now I have been with BCJ for the past 4 years.

Vissie: I spent some time in the police dog units in Benoni, Bloemfontein and White River. I then did an eight year stint in Iraq but now I am very happy to be involved with BCJ.

 

What don’t people know about you?

Jacques: I might be a big tall guy, but I have a really small heart. I care a lot for other people.

Vissie: People don’t know a lot about my past.

 

What is the happiest moment in your life?

Jacques: Definitely when I met my wife, Claire.

Vissie: I have two. When I married my wife and the birth of my children.

 

Have you ever had a near death experience?

Jacques: The closest would have been when I was stationed on the Mozambican border. We had set a trap for a syndicate but it did not go as planned. We were like rabbits in a spotlight, with spanners and spark plugs flying and bullet holes appearing in the car. It was really too close for comfort.

Vissie: I had a number of really close calls when I was working in Iraq. Once, a rocket hit a water truck very close to me. It could have ended very badly.

 

Have you ever saved a life?

Jacques: There are many, but recently we had to rescue people that were stuck in a strike. We had to go in really quickly and managed to extract them from a very dangerous situation. It could have ended badly for them.

Vissie: Many times.

 

Jacques dog named Bossie.

Jacques dog named Bossie.

What do you like about Nelspruiters?

Jacques: Nelspruit has a different vibe. Other than being a nice town, the people are generally good and friendly. A lot of people go out of their way to make it possible for BCJ to function. But you do get some people that are headaches.

Vissie:  I enjoy the fact that you can walk into the hardware store and start up a conversation with some stranger. You don’t get that everywhere these days.

 

What upsets you in your job?

Jacques: It generally takes a lot to get my radiator boiling. Although, I get irritated by the arrogance of syndicate members and criminals. They stand up to you as though they are untouchable.

Vissie: I don’t enjoy it when innocent people and bystanders get hurt by the actions of others.

 

If you could participate in any reality show, what would it be?

Jacques and Vissie: Survivor

 

Have you got any nicknames?

Jacques: People sometimes call me Bossie.

Vissie: My real name is Hennie Visser, but I have been called Vissie for a long time.

 

What do you do when load shedding is implemented and the lights go off?

Jacques: I have such a collection of torches, when the power was off last time I turned them all on. My neighbour stopped by to ask why my power was not off.

 

Do you see yourself as a Superhero?

Jacques: We don’t see ourselves as superheroes; we just have a passion for helping people. But the other day someone did say “here comes the bat mobile”.

Vissie:  I would love to be the invisible man, then I could sneak up on unsuspecting criminals.

 

We saw that you recently acquired a drone, what is the plan with it?

Jacques: The drone is kitted out with a very sensitive thermal camera. It is great for finding suspects in dense bush at night and perfect for situations like farm attacks etc.

 

Are there any specific people you would like to thank for supporting BCJ?

Jacques and Vissie: We would like to thank everyone in the community who supports us, without your help this would not be possible. But we would also like to thank some of our big sponsors; HiQ Nelspruit, AutoFix, Fred Kinnear, Chris Christie, Remax, Centro Signs, Crystalite Plastics, Kgorang Group, Mondi Consulting, Industro Serve, Eagle Distributors, Riverside Mall Shopping Centre, i’langa Mall Shopping Centre, Sonpark Shopping Centre, Jack Snacks and many of the fuel stations in town who sponsor us with additional fuel.

Bossies Community Justice rely heavily on donations from the community. To make a donation visit Bossies’ Community Justice website or call 082 5675212.

 

 

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