Sasha Lee Shah, a South African woman, was murdered in 2022 when her ex-boyfriend Kyle Inderlall shot her before killing himself. The murder highlights flaws in gun control and the South African police system. A trail of paperwork and pleas to authorities led up to the murder, including complaints about Inderlall's past actions, such as pointing a firearm at a second woman and threatening a third. Shah had an interim protection order against Inderlall at the time of her murder.
The case of Shah's killing is now set to be the focus of an inquest that is expected to be heard in Durban on 1 December. Her mother, Jessica, hopes this will clear up some details surrounding her daughter's murder. She believes that the justice system is in place for a reason, yet it is failing women. She urges the nation to stand together and fight for justice for women and children, ensuring that they are not senselessly murdered.
Gun control problems have been highlighted in South Africa, with extensive reports on the Central Firearms Registry, which falls under the South African Police Service (SAPS) and is meant to oversee gun license applications and related issues. Parliament has previously heard that the registry is operating below standard, meaning the movements of firearms and ammunition are not being thoroughly tracked. A report by Gun Free South Africa and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum found that corruption connected to cops issuing firearm licenses resulted in thousands of guns getting to criminals.
A paper trail of complaints to authorities about Inderlall preceded Shah's murder, suggesting some SAPS officers should have been aware of his background. The trail includes a complaint lodged in late 2020 by a woman at the Phoenix police station, which was provided to the KwaZulu-Natal police in a media query about the broader matter. Another woman applied for a protection order against Inderlall in December 2021, which states that "threats are being made against the victim" and an "attempted murder charge has been opened."
In September 2022, Shah was granted an interim protection order against Inderlall after she applied for it because she was scared that he was stalking her. Inderlall's sister, Milekha, was quoted in The Post as saying that he then left Shah alone but was worried the order would "tarnish his reputation." On 30 October 2022, Shah was murdered, and Jessica turned to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to find out why Inderlall had a firearm at the time of her daughter's killing.
In January 2023, Jessica was informed that the matter did not fall under Ipid's mandate. She was advised to address her complaint to the police's KwaZulu-Natal office. A captain who was based at the Phoenix police station was suspended without pay for two months over the Inderlall firearm matter. A document with a SAPS letterhead, dated 20 April 2023, said a police captain had indeed faced charges relating to "misconduct which detrimentally affects the image of the Service or brings [it] into disrepute" and "any contravention of the Firearms Control Act" linked to South African Police Service Regulations.
This article is republished from the Daily Maverick. Click here to read the original article.
