Times Of Swaziland: TOGETHER WE CAN – HERMAN JELE

TOGETHER WE CAN – HERMAN JELE
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BY LWAZI DLAMINI on 08/04/2021 07:49:00


An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
His father, Tom Jele is a former president of the Eswatini National Tennis
Association (ENTA), his two brothers, Derrick (eldest) and youngest, Maxwell,
have also held the same position in the organisation with immeasurable success.
In fact, Maxwell is the current president of the ENTA and new vice president of
the Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) and Herman is
the new Eswatini Swimming Association (ESA) president.
Leadership runs in the veins of the Jele family. It is in their DNA and the
modest Herman describes it as a calling and says the driving force is the goal
to leave a legacy. “Our father led with integrity and that’s our aspiration
too,” he says matter-of-factly. While the proud father watches from a distant
his off-springs take on national leadership, the elder son, Derrick, a former
ENTA president himself, is the brain-trust for his siblings who are still
serving diligently in the various leadership positions of two of the
fastest-growing sports in the country.
Eswatini is lucky to have a family of leaders who are driven by the passion to
lead and most importantly people who understand how sport can play a pivotal
role in social cohesion and uplifting the economy. Herman says this culture was
inculcated at an early age to him and through a grass-root programme called
‘Sportykidz’ he is able to give pre-school children the confidence and
desire to take up sports even before they start Grade I classes. The Swimming
president believes creating a strong partnership with the private sector and
also working closely with the international swimming organisation, FINA
(Federation of International De Natation), his executive committee can be able
to achieve their ultimate goal of turning the sport’s lemons to lemonade.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Eswatini Swimming Association (ESA) president on
the Chairman’s Chair. Enjoy your reading…..