The revelations from the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) meeting on December 5, 2025, paint a stark picture of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) struggles in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As South Africa continues its long-standing commitment to UN peacekeeping under Operation Mistral (part of the MONUSCO mission), the session exposed not just logistical failures but deeper systemic issues rooted in chronic underfunding and poor planning. Below, I’ll break down the key elements from the report, contextualize them with recent developments, and outline the implications.
Equipment Shortages: A Matter of Life and Limb
The committee’s co-chairperson, Malusi Gigaba, highlighted the dire personal costs borne by troops:
- Soldiers deployed without bulletproof vests, which only arrived after they reached the DRC.
- Necessity to purchase their own boots, bedframes, and even tents due to provisioning gaps.
These aren’t isolated anecdotes. Broader reports confirm that SANDF’s equipment woes stem from aging assets and maintenance backlogs, exacerbated by defense budgets hovering below 1% of GDP—far short of the global average of 2%. For instance, the inability to deploy serviceable Rooivalk attack helicopters or Gripen jets due to spare parts shortages has left ground forces vulnerable, contributing to the deaths of at least 14 soldiers in clashes earlier in 2025. In the DRC specifically, the lack of air support has delayed medical evacuations and reinforcements, turning routine rotations into high-risk operations.
This isn’t new; a September 2025 analysis noted that self-sufficiency requirements for missions like MONUSCO strain an already depleted inventory, leading to such improvised solutions as troops funding basics themselves. The human toll is evident: morale is plummeting, with unions and opposition parties decrying “troop neglect” including ration shortfalls and transport issues.
Financial Strain and Troop Reductions
The UN’s global downsizing of peacekeeping missions has hit MONUSCO hard, forcing a phased drawdown starting October 2025. For South Africa:
- The Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and Composite Helicopter Unit (CHU) have been fully repatriated, with four Oryx helicopters already back in-country and the fifth en route.
- Battalion strength has been slashed due to UN funding shortfalls, dropping from over 1,000 troops to a leaner force focused on the South African Battalion, Force Integration Brigade (FIB), and Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU).
- Rotations continue for 12-month stints, but at reduced scale—prioritizing core MONUSCO mandates amid adjacent SADC Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) withdrawal earlier in 2025.
South Africa’s defense allocation for 2025/26 sits at R57.2 billion against a required R98.3 billion, creating a R41.2 billion hole that forces tough choices. Emergency funding via the Public Finance Management Act has patched holes before, but critics argue it signals failed long-term planning. The DRC mission alone has cost lives and resources without clear strategic gains, especially as M23 rebels (backed by Rwanda) control swathes of North Kivu.
Criticism of Leadership: “An Insult to Parliament”
The generals faced bipartisan backlash for arriving unprepared:
- Their presentation on Mistral rotations was deemed superficial, lacking details on logistics, medical support, or lessons from past failures (e.g., SAMIDRC’s chaotic 2025 withdrawal).
- Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa lambasted them for not sharing materials in advance, accusing them of sidelining oversight. “This is frustrating, to say the least,” echoed committee members, who questioned how deployments could proceed without addressing evident gaps.
Opposition voices, like the DA’s Chris Hattingh, demanded accountability from Minister Angie Motshekga, pointing to VIP jets evacuating officials while wounded troops waited without airlift. Even the SANDF’s denial of “stranded troops” in May 2025 feels hollow amid ongoing reports of overland route risks due to airport closures.
Path Forward: Follow-Up and Broader Reforms
The JSCD’s call for a follow-up with Minister Motshekga is a pragmatic step—aiming for transparency on redeployment viability and welfare safeguards. But this crisis underscores bigger questions:
- Sustainability: With SAMIDRC terminated in March 2025 and MONUSCO winding down, is South Africa’s top-10 troop contributor status viable without budget hikes?
- Readiness: Experts urge modernization via expenditure restructuring, but political will lags amid GNU infighting.
- Regional Impact: The DRC’s instability threatens SADC stability; South Africa’s pullback could cede ground to rivals like Rwanda.
