An Eswatini Movement in the King’s Baton Relay

Green Living Movement Eswatini proudly participated in the King’s Baton Relay 2026 for the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Green Living Movement Eswatini, a charity that promotes sustainability and community, held a plastic clean-up event on the Mbabane River in the capital of Eswatini as part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign.

Through their ongoing work in environmental education, green skills training, and community development, the organisation empowers young people to take an active role in protecting Eswatini’s natural resources. Their presence during the Relay underscored the shared commitment to a cleaner, greener future and highlighted the role of community organisations in driving positive environmental change.

The Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, responsible for the baton’s week in Eswatini, brought along volunteers and athletes to support the clean-up, as did Mbabane Municipal Council, who also dealt with the collected plastic. Students from local Ka-Schiele High School also joined the event, to help keep their local area free from plastic pollution. It was a powerful demonstration of Eswatini’s commitment to a greener future and the values of unity and responsibility that underpin the Commonwealth.

Also during the week, Hon. Bongani Nzima, Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, H.E. Colin Wells, British High Commissioner,  Commonwealth Games Association President Adam Mthethwa and Chief Executive Officer Maxwell Jele helped to launch the baton on its journey around Eswatini, and spoke of the Baton’s significance in promoting sports and cultural exchange. The baton visited the Engen Filling Station and the Prince of Wales Stadium, with schoolchildren waving flags and singing as the Baton entered the stadium. There was also a visit to Mantenga Cultural Village to celebrate community and Eswatini’s cultural heritage and culminated at the Office of the Prime Minister, where the Right Honourable Russell Mmiso Dlamini welcomed the baton and formally handed it onwards to Malawi, the next host nation.

The King’s Baton Relay showcased Eswatini’s deep cultural pride, its growing investment in sport, and its dedication to a more sustainable future. As the Baton continued on to Malawi, it left behind a week of shared experiences that brought communities across the country closer together.

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ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

The Royal Commonwealth Society’s Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign will prevent one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.

The campaign will combine education and local action to encourage people to reduce their plastic waste, highlight alternatives, and reduce pollution across the Commonwealth.

For the action component of the campaign, the Royal Commonwealth Society has partnered with Commonwealth Sport to deliver the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign as a core component of The King’s Baton Relay. This newly envisioned King’s Baton Relay will focus on sustainability and environmentalism and was launched by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day 2025, beginning a 500-day journey to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July 2026.

Journeying through every Commonwealth nation and territory, this partnership will bring together young people, athletes, conservation groups, and the local community for a week of activities, including a plastic clean-up.

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.