Stuart James Scharnick to defend himself in firearm-related case

Stuart James Scharnick, the ex-bodyguard of former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, will temporarily represent himself in a criminal case involving alleged firearm-related offences.

Scharnick appeared before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng on Monday, 11 November 2026, where it emerged that his legal representative had withdrawn from the matter.

He faces charges relating to his alleged failure to update the Central Firearms Registry after moving from Douglasdale, allowing another person access to his firearm and keeping a gun in a safe that allegedly does not meet the requirements of the Firearms Control Act.

He remains out on bail of R5 000.

Stuart James Scharnick firearm charges case postponed

The court heard that investigations into the matter had not been finalised, with the state requesting additional time to complete its work.

Scharnick also confirmed that he would take responsibility for his own defence following the withdrawal of his attorney.

Although he intends to represent himself in the interim, he indicated that he could reconsider this decision once the outstanding court documents become available.

“I’ll definitely review my decision closer to the time when court documents have been shared with us.

“So for the current purpose, I’ll be representing myself in the interim until we receive the documents that we are requesting for further particulars,” Scharnick told the magistrate on Monday.

The magistrate postponed the matter to 24 February 2027 to allow investigators to finalise their work.

Previous convictions

Scharnick’s arrest dates back to 20 August 2026, when he was taken into custody outside the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, the venue hosting the Madlanga commission’s public hearings.

The arrest followed an intimidation complaint filed against him by Sowetan journalist Herman Moloi.

Separately, Scharnick has been the subject of allegations concerning his criminal record, including claims linking him to vehicle theft and carjacking cases.

Previous reports indicated that South African Police Service (Saps) records showed convictions for theft and possession of stolen property dating from 2004 to 2012.

These were later removed through an expungement process.

However, further allegations suggest that a Saps employee interfered with the criminal records system to conceal details of Scharnick’s alleged criminal history.

The cases reportedly included 10 motor vehicle thefts and eight carjackings, which were consolidated into a plea agreement resulting in a five-year suspended sentence and a R150 000 fine.

Police have further alleged that Scharnick secured five firearm licences for sporting purposes despite his previous convictions.

The firearm-related case remains before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, with proceedings set to resume in February 2027.