Zimbabwe's Air Force crisis exposed

In August 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa experienced a harrowing emergency when his VIP helicopter crash-landed at a farm in Sandringham, approximately 64 kilometres southwest of Harare. The incident, caused by technical failure as cockpit avionics indicated the battery was not charging mid-flight, forced an urgent landing that endangered the life of the President. Mnangagwa was returning from his Pricabe Farm near Sherwood in Kwekwe when the chopper was forced down. The near-tragedy prompted an immediate and angry reaction from the President and led to a swift overhaul of his security protocols.

Investigations revealed serious weaknesses in communication between the President's crew and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, exposing vulnerabilities that Mnangagwa was determined to rectify. However, the incident quickly became politically sensitive. The NewsHawks, the media outlet that broke the story despite the crash occurring in a remote area with no locals or other reporters present, faced a harsh backlash. Security forces launched a witch hunt to identify the leak, suspecting an inside job, which led to the reporter being hounded, forced out of his home, and kept under protection until the matter was quietly resolved.

This was not an isolated case. The Air Force of Zimbabwe has suffered numerous aircraft accidents in recent years, reflecting deep systemic issues. In September 2024, a Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashed during takeoff at Masvingo Airport while preparing to transport Mnangagwa from Bikita to Harare. Although the President was not on board, the crash raised further alarm about the state of Zimbabwe's aerial fleet. This occurred shortly after Mnangagwa celebrated his 82nd birthday at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, where he proposed establishing Munhumutapa Day to coincide with his birthday on September 15.

Zimbabwe's Air Force has endured a troubling pattern of crashes and fatalities, including the loss of several pilots and senior officers. In May 2025, retired Squadron Leader Retswanetsi Vuyo Ncube died when his Chengdu J-7/F-7 supersonic jet crashed near the Gweru-Mvuma road during a training sortie. Just months earlier, in September 2023, Air Lieutenant Nesbert Tambudza was killed in a crash involving a Karakorum-8 jet trainer near Gweru. Other tragedies include a fatal SF-260 trainer crash in Gweru in February 2023, a deadly Bell 412 helicopter accident in Ruwa in April 2021 that claimed three lives onboard and a child on the ground, and a November 2020 SF-260 trainer crash that killed both pilots near Gweru.

These repeated incidents reveal a deeply troubled Air Force struggling with aging aircraft, inadequate funding, poor maintenance, and the lingering effects of Western sanctions and arms embargoes. The deterioration of the Air Force can be traced back to the heavy demands and losses incurred during Zimbabwe's involvement in the Second Congo War from 1998 to 2003, which drained resources and led to the loss of several valuable aircraft.

In a move to modernize his aerial fleet, Mnangagwa was gifted a Mil Mi-38 VIP helicopter by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023, yet this aircraft has not entered service due to ongoing pilot training. The Zimbabwean military has also sought assistance from the Nigerian Air Force to address technical deficiencies and replace obsolete equipment. Despite these efforts, financial constraints and other challenges continue to hamper meaningful upgrades.

The growing number of accidents and the decline in operational readiness present serious national security concerns. The Air Force's diminished capacity restricts Zimbabwe's ability to effectively respond to emergencies, defend its borders, or participate fully in regional peacekeeping efforts. While aviation inherently involves risk, the combination of worn-out equipment and insufficient maintenance has dangerously increased the likelihood of fatal accidents.

As these incidents continue, there is mounting pressure on the government to urgently invest in and reform the Air Force. The goal is to safeguard not only military personnel and civilians but also the nation's leadership, whose lives have already been imperiled by these recurring crises. The legacy of past conflicts, ongoing financial woes, and equipment shortfalls cast a long shadow over Zimbabwe's military aviation future.