Marcus Moloko
How did Stuart James Scharnick, a man allegedly with 34 criminal charges – 18 of which allegedly resulted in convictions – manage to position himself within the orbit of senior police leadership without raising suspicion?
Details about Scharnick and his proximity to top cops were shared by Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo at the Madlanga Commission this week.
Scharnick, identified by Khumalo as the “associate” of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, has an alleged criminal record that spans carjackings, theft, and other serious offences.
Despite these alleged crimes, Khumalo said it was unclear whether Scharnick ever served a day in prison.
Officials were looking at the matter currently, Khumalo said, while elaborating that Scharnick was not linked to Sibiya alone. Khumalo went as far as to identify Scharnick inside Parliament during last month’s ad hoc committee inquiry into criminality within the police, where Sibiya himself testified.
Sibiya is alleged to have sometimes used a white Toyota Hilux registered to Scharnick.
“Our records confirm both the registration details and the driver associated with that period,” the Madlanga Commission heard from Khumalo, who underscored the proximity between Scharnick and high-level SAPS operations.
This sparked questions about how a man with such an allegedly prolific criminal history could bypass standard vetting processes and gain access to sensitive environments, including parliamentary hearings.
According to Khumalo’s testimony, Scharnick’s criminal records include:
34 total charges, 18 convictions, 11 withdrawn cases, and five acquittals, yet there remains no clear documentation indicating that Scharnick had served any prison time.
“If you commit so many thefts and hijackings within the space of two years and are found guilty, how many years and when are you serving your sentences?” Khumalo asked, suggesting that either sentencing was never enforced or that Scharnick benefited from systemic loopholes.
He confirmed that crime intelligence had launched a formal probe into how Scharnick’s record was overlooked and whether internal SAPS systems were manipulated or ignored.
The fact that Scharnick was seen in Parliament during a high-profile inquiry raised alarms about how secure protocols are.
“This is not just about one man,” Khumalo said. “It was about the credibility of our institutions and the trust the public places in our ability to uphold the law.”
Khumalo confirmed that, despite allegedly being a bodyguard to a top SAPS official, Scharnick was not employed by the SAPS.
Meanwhile, Scharnick made an appearance on eNCA on Tuesday evening, alleging that he feared for his life.
Scharnick denied being Sibiya’s bodyguard, saying that he was an acquaintance.
Scharnick confirmed he had been convicted.
“It’s eighteen counts in one case, not eighteen separate cases,” he said.
He was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence and settled the fines, he said.
“I am a free man. My suspended sentence has lapsed.”
He said the cases that were withdrawn were due to an agreement with the state. And five cases where he was found not guilty were separate incidents.
“I have no cases pending. Unlike General Khumalo, I’m not on bail; I’m a free man. He [Khumalo] is currently on bail.”
Scharnick said he knew Khumalo very well. He said Khumalo knew he was not Sibiya’s bodyguard. “I have never been a bodyguard.”
“I met Lt Gen Khumalo in Sibiya’s office.”
Scharnick said Khumalo was misleading the commission.
Scharnick said he was from Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal, where he ran a construction company. He maintained he met Sibiya in 2001 and 2002 pertaining to murder cases he and community members were looking into.
He said Khumalo was tarnishing his integrity, before he had his turn to speak at the ad hoc committee or the Madlanga Commission.
- WATCH interview here
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