After South African troops withdrew from peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), they left behind five Oryx transport helicopters. The helicopters are still there with no deadline for returning them to South Africa.
In August, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) authorities disputed reports that the helicopters had been abandoned in the DRC after troops pulled out of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the Southern African Development Community’s mission in eastern DRC (SAMIDRC).
Four of the helicopters are grounded in Lubumbashi in southern DRC, while the fifth remains at the airport in Goma, which is under the control of M23 rebels. The Goma helicopter was hit more than 40 times during a medical evacuation last year. The attack injured the commander and a medic and also extensively damaged the aircraft.
“The other [Lubumbashi] helicopters are operational and remain under the strict control of the SANDF,” the military’s statement said.
SANDF officials told Janes that there is no date for returning the aircraft to South Africa, but added “we are working on that.”
The controversy over the fate of the five Oryx helicopters reflects the uncertainty about the future of the SANDF and its support of peacekeeping missions. Years of budget cuts continue to handicap South Africa’s ability to project power beyond its borders and maintain crucial infrastructure.
“South Africa’s involvement in MONUSCO and SAMIDRC is a reflection of its commitment to peacekeeping, but the SANDF’s limitations have made it difficult to fulfill this mission effectively,” analyst Nco Dube wrote in an IOL commentary earlier this year.
The SANDF’s $3.26 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26 is about 60% of what military leaders say they need to maintain an effective force. Of the funding allocated, 65% is earmarked for salaries. Just more than $17 million has been set aside for “day-to-day maintenance and emergency repairs.”
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has said that budget restraints created logistical issues that hindered the withdrawal from the DRC. Earlier this year, analysts noted that a lack of air support contributed to the deaths of 13 SANDF Soldiers ambushed by M23 during the mission.
The Department of Defence’s annual 2025-26 performance plan contains a litany of financial shortfalls across the military, including 51.4% for air defense, 61.7% for maritime capabilities, and 52% for land operations.
As of mid-2025, up to 85% of the Air Force’s aircraft are out of service, according to reports. The South African Army relies on aging equipment that dates back to the apartheid era. Maintenance issues have limited the Navy’s small fleet of frigates and submarines to patrolling no farther than South Africa’s coastal waters. Training has been scaled back.
Motshekga told political leaders earlier this year that budget cuts also have led to the loss of skilled technicians at Denel, the state-owned defense company that maintains SANDF vehicles.
“It has become difficult to maintain the expertise and plan for succession due to chronic under-funding,” she said.
