Johannesburg – Controversial businessman Stuart Scharnick is at the centre of increasing scrutiny in South African Police Service (SAPS) investigations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), with senior police officers raising pointed questions about his firearms licences and criminal-case history.
Acting KZN Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection, Major General Anthony Gopal, said investigators uncovered that Scharnick is legally in possession of five firearms.
“You ask yourself certain questions about his profile, and when we then start to look at his profile, we pick up that Mr Sharnick owns firearms.
“Specifically, he owns five firearms. We ask ourselves a question: how will a person with convictions acquire a firearm licence? And for what purpose?” Gopal said.
Gopal noted that Scharnick made his first application for a competency certificate (required under the Firearms Control Act) in 2015. A subsequent application in Richards Bay was refused because he “failed to disclose outstanding cases.”
WATCH | Acting Head of Detectives in KZN, Major-General Anthony Gopaul, says on 16 January at 16:58, a SAPS employee accessed the criminal record system and made adjustments to Stuart James Scharnick’s records, which is why Scharnick is confident there will be nothing in the… pic.twitter.com/o0h1ycjU1H
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 13, 2025
He emphasised that the applications and licensing process would typically involve steps such as competency assessments and the disclosure of criminal history.
Scharnick is allegedly a “vehicle theft kingpin” facing 18 serious charges, including theft and hijacking. KZN police have questioned how he received what they described as a “slap on the wrist” despite the scale of his alleged offending.
Following yesterday’s media briefing by KZN @SAPoliceService – Stuart Scharnick says:
-18 cases: consolidated into one case. 11 cases withdrawn and not guilty on others…meaning there is one conviction of theft as 18 cases consolidated-matter with 1 conviction. @NPA_Prosecutes… pic.twitter.com/Zdpitd5E4t
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) November 14, 2025
A SAPS employee at the Criminal Records Centre is under investigation for accessing and altering Scharnick’s criminal-record entries.
KZN police reportedly found at least 29 criminal-case dockets pertaining to Scharnick, including 18 vehicle-related cases (10 motor-vehicle thefts, 8 carjackings, 1 house-breaking) and 11 other cases ranging from assault to pointing of a firearm.
WATCH | KZN police confront James Scharnick, seen holding a rifle. During a media briefing on Thursday, Major General Anthony Gopal said the rifle was one of several Scharnick obtained using multiple firearm licences acquired under the false pretence of sporting use. @Koena_xM pic.twitter.com/HFB6buvqEP
— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 13, 2025
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
