James Stuart Scharnick
1Min
South Africa
Nov 13, 2025
Police in KZN revealed that Stuart James Scharnick, an associate of suspended deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, has a lengthy criminal record including car theft, robbery, and firearm offences. Authorities are investigating how his record was altered in the police system.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal has laid bare the criminal background of Stuart James Scharnick, an associate of suspended deputy police commissioner for crime detection Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya.
Addressing a press briefing in Durban on Thursday, acting provincial commissioner for detection Major-General Anthony Gopaul confirmed that Scharnick had a long history of criminal activity, including car theft, carjacking, assault, and the illegal possession of firearms.
Gopaul said police records revealed 29 cases against Scharnick, eight of which were directly related to carjacking. “We picked up a lot of things in his profile,” he said. “He has several cases ranging from vehicle theft and robbery to assault and pointing of firearms. We are also looking at evidence of gender-based violence.”
The briefing comes months after KZN Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi explosive media conference on 6 July 2025, during which he exposed senior police officials, including suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
That event set off a wave of internal probes that have since widened into multiple criminal investigations. Following that briefing, the Ad Hoc Committee was established by Parliament to investigate allegations of corruption, political interference, and links between senior police officials and criminal syndicates.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was formed to uncover collusion between law enforcement, politicians, and the criminal underworld that has compromised policing in South Africa.
On Thursday Gopaul revealed that on 16 January 2025, an SAPS Criminal Record Centre employee made unauthorized changes to Scharnick’s criminal profile on the police system. “The system shows that someone adjusted his record,” said Gopaul. “The evidence remains in the back end. We have not lost the data, and we are investigating how and why this manipulation occurred.”
He said police were concerned about how 18 of Scharnick’s dockets were consolidated into a single case. “We cannot pronounce on what legal mandate the NPA used to arrive at just one docket from 18,” he said. “We will approach the NPA and the Judicial Commission to get answers on how the consolidation was done. We have requested the NPA to review Scharnick’s plea bargain.”
Gopaul said police also received a video showing Scharnick brandishing a rifle in public. “He has no authority to carry firearms as he is not a security officer or a police member. Yet we confirmed he is in possession of at least five firearms,” he said. He said he acquired his firearms through sporting license since he was denied getting firearm licence because he failed to disclose criminal records.
Security expert Andy Mashaile said the alleged tampering with official police systems was deeply troubling. “Given the evidence that the general has unpacked, it means that the employee who changed the record is part of an organized crime syndicate,” Mashaile said. “This cannot be a mistake. If it was, there would be authorization to show that. There is none.”
He added that the manipulation of criminal data took place at a time when Sibiya was in charge of the relevant division. “This raises serious questions about oversight and internal accountability,” said Mashaile.
During testimony before the Madlanga Commission earlier this month, suspended Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo also implicated Scharnick, alleging that he had 34 criminal cases and 18 convictions. Khumalo told the commission that Sibiya had been using Scharnick as an unofficial operative, despite his criminal history.
Khumalo testified that Sibiya was seen driving a bulletproof bakkie belonging to Scharnick, a claim corroborated by a video presented to the commission.
Khumalo’s revelations before the Madlanga Commission led to heightened scrutiny of Sibiya’s conduct, with questions raised about how Scharnick managed to attend parliamentary meetings with Sibiya’s legal team despite not holding any security clearance or police position.
Scharnick has denied Khumalo’s claims, saying he has been unfairly targeted. Speaking to journalists after opening a fraud and defamation case at the Pretoria Central Police Station on Wednesday, Scharnick said he would “fight the matter tooth and nail.” He acknowledged receiving a suspended sentence in a case involving 18 counts of irregular vehicle trading but insisted he had no pending cases.
Major-General Gopaul thanked Scharnick for “going to the media with confidence” because it prompted the police to re-examine his record. “Sometimes those who come out publicly help us uncover the truth,” he said.
Gopaul confirmed that investigations were ongoing and that SAPS would cooperate with the NPA and other oversight bodies to ensure that those who manipulated records or aided Scharnick faced prosecution.
The briefing marks one of the most detailed public disclosures by SAPS in recent months, highlighting growing tensions within the police’s upper ranks as corruption and manipulation allegations continue to surface.
