A Durban man responded to allegations presented at the Madlanga Commission after Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo testified about his criminal background and connections to suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. Stuart James Scharnick acknowledged having 34 cases on record but maintained they originated from one 2011-2012 matter related to vehicle transactions conducted without adequate verification procedures. He received a suspended sentence and paid the required fines for what he described as oversight failures during business dealings with other entrepreneurs and officers.
Scharnick rejected characterizations of himself as a bodyguard for Sibiya. Their relationship developed while addressing the Richards Bay murders between 2010 and 2011, when local stations struggled to make progress on killings linked to extortion and contract disputes. He lent his armored Toyota Hilux to Sibiya after official security details were withdrawn during the suspension period. Scharnick appeared at parliamentary proceedings as part of the legal support team rather than as security personnel and said his accreditation reflected that status.
The commission heard testimony placing Scharnick behind Sibiya at an ad hoc committee session held in October 2025. He criticized presentations he believes misrepresented facts to damage reputations and suggested internal law enforcement conflicts drive current narratives about supposed criminal networks.
Scharnick rejected characterizations of himself as a bodyguard for Sibiya. Their relationship developed while addressing the Richards Bay murders between 2010 and 2011, when local stations struggled to make progress on killings linked to extortion and contract disputes. He lent his armored Toyota Hilux to Sibiya after official security details were withdrawn during the suspension period. Scharnick appeared at parliamentary proceedings as part of the legal support team rather than as security personnel and said his accreditation reflected that status.
The commission heard testimony placing Scharnick behind Sibiya at an ad hoc committee session held in October 2025. He criticized presentations he believes misrepresented facts to damage reputations and suggested internal law enforcement conflicts drive current narratives about supposed criminal networks.
