The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that the employee who deleted the criminal records of Stuart James Scharnick, a close associate of suspended Deputy Police Commissioner for Crime Detection Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, is based at the national Criminal Records Centre in Pretoria, not in KwaZulu-Natal as initially believed.
This revelation came during a press briefing in Durban on Thursday, where acting provincial commissioner for detection, Major-General Anthony Gopaul, provided a detailed account of Scharnick’s criminal history and ongoing investigations into alleged manipulation of police data.
According to Gopaul, police discovered that the deletion of Scharnick’s criminal record was carried out from the national headquarters. “The employee responsible for making unauthorised changes to the system is not based in KwaZulu-Natal,” Gopaul said. “They are stationed in Pretoria, at the national Criminal Records section.”
Gopaul said that despite the attempted cover-up, investigators found a backup drive that preserved the deleted data. “The evidence remains in the back end of the system,” he said. “All the deleted records are recoverable, and we are using this to trace who authorised the manipulation and for what reason.”
The Major-General confirmed that Scharnick’s record showed at least 29 cases across different provinces, including eight for carjacking and others involving vehicle theft, robbery, assault, and firearm offences. “We picked up a lot from his profile. Some cases were consolidated, but we still see evidence of serious criminal conduct,” Gopaul said.
He questioned how the dockets were merged into one. “We cannot pronounce on what legal mandate the NPA used to arrive at a single docket from 18,” Gopaul said. “We have asked the NPA and the Judicial Commission to explain the process. We also requested that the NPA review Scharnick’s plea bargain.”
He said carjacking left trauma in victims, and police are wondering how Scharnic got away with lenient outcomes.
The press briefing follows the explosive July 6 media conference by KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazii, who accused senior police and political figures, including suspended Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, of corruption and interference in criminal investigations.
During Thursday’s briefing, Gopaul also confirmed that police had received a video showing Scharnick brandishing a rifle in public. “He has no authority to carry firearms as he is neither a police officer nor a licensed security official,” he said. “He currently possesses five firearms under investigation.”
Gopaul said Scharnick failed firearm competency in Richards Bay, KZN. He got a sporting firearm licence before getting competency in 2022 in Gauteng, using a different address.
Security expert Andy Mashaile described the situation as deeply concerning, saying it demonstrated the existence of an organised network inside the police service. “Given the evidence the general has unpacked, this shows that the employee who tampered with the records is part of an organised crime syndicate,” Mashaile said. “This cannot be a mistake. There is no record of authorisation for such changes, and it happened at a time when Sibiya was in charge of the relevant division.”
The revelations echo evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry earlier this month, where suspended Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo testified that Scharnick had 34 criminal cases and 18 convictions.
Khumalo’s testimony further revealed that Scharnick had attended parliamentary sessions alongside Sibiya’s legal team, despite not holding any police clearance or security status. These irregularities have since been flagged for further investigation by the Ad Hoc Committee and the Judicial Commission.
The Ad Hoc Committee was established by Parliament to investigate corruption, political interference, and criminal syndicate infiltration within law enforcement. The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was formed to probe collusion between senior police officials, politicians, and figures from the criminal underworld that has compromised policing in South Africa.
On Wednesday, Scharnick appeared unbothered by the police, speaking confidently to journalists after opening a fraud and defamation case against Khumalo at the Pretoria Central Police Station, he challenged the media to verify his claims. “Go check the system,” he said. “I have 18 cases, and they all check out.”
Unbeknownst to him, investigators had already recovered a backup copy showing the deleted records.
The matter has caused a storm on social media, with South Africans expressing outrage and disbelief at the extent of corruption in the police service. One X user wrote, “So the plot thickens. Turns out the criminal record didn’t vanish in KZN. It was professionally deleted in Pretoria. Clearly, corruption’s gone corporate, now it’s handled at head office level.”
Another user posted, “Sibiya’s cronies are about to go down. Mkhwanazi spoke about people in SAPS, the judiciary, and other bodies being compromised. Now they’ve all revealed themselves—Johnson, Batohi, Scharnick, Sibiya, Nkabinde, Mchunu.”
Gopaul said the police would cooperate fully with all oversight bodies and law enforcement units to ensure accountability. “The manipulation of records is a criminal act, and those responsible will face consequences.”
He thanked Scharnick for daring the police.
