Businessman Stuart Scharnick arrested at Madlanga inquiry after harassment complaint
Stuart Scharnick, a construction businessman who has surfaced in South Africa’s widening police scandal, was arrested at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry i...
Stuart Scharnick, a construction businessman who has surfaced in South Africa’s widening police scandal, was arrested at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Thursday after a journalist accused him of harassment and intimidation. The arrest pulled a little-known name back into the spotlight — and back into a hearing already testing the links around suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya.
Herman Moloi, a Sowetan reporter covering the inquiry, opened a case of intimidation after Scharnick allegedly confronted him while he was filming during the proceedings at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College. Commission staff said disorderly conduct would not be tolerated, and officials later said the rules on behaviour at the public hearings would be reviewed.
From Richards Bay to the commission
Scharnick comes from Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal and has worked in construction since 2005. His name entered the broader public conversation only last year, when crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo told the commission that Scharnick acted as Sibiya’s personal protector, even though he was not employed by the South African Police Service. Scharnick has denied that claim.
That testimony also drew attention to a vehicle link. Khumalo said Sibiya frequently used a vehicle owned by Scharnick, and that Scharnick’s Toyota double-cab bakkie was seen on the day police raided Sibiya’s home. Those details have helped turn Scharnick from a businessman into a figure now tied to one of the country’s most closely watched inquiries. The questions around him are not small. They touch on policing, private access, and who had influence around a senior officer.
Criminal record questions linger
Scharnick’s background has also come under scrutiny. Reports linked him to expunged convictions and questions over a criminal history that has been described as extensive, with mentions of cases involving carjackings, theft and vehicle theft syndicate links. One report said he had filed a defamation lawsuit against Khumalo.
Another source said there were 29 cases against Scharnick in KwaZulu-Natal, and that provincial police had handled some of them, while a separate report noted questions over his criminal record and firearm licence. Khumalo has also said it was unclear whether Scharnick ever served time in prison.
The latest arrest adds a fresh layer to the saga. Scharnick was taken into custody at the commission itself, inside a hearing meant to examine serious allegations around police conduct and power. The hearing continues to cast a hard light on the company senior officers keep — and on the men who move in their orbit. Thirty-four criminal charges were cited in one account. That number still hangs over him.
