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In a haunting recollection from more than two decades ago, Errol Musk, the father of tech mogul Elon Musk, shared shocking details of a deadly home invasion that he claims saved his young daughter from a gruesome fate.
Speaking on the Anything Goes with James English podcast, the 79-year-old recounted how he fatally shot three armed intruders at one of his Johannesburg properties in 1998, an act he said prevented the ritualistic murder of his then six-year-old daughter, Ali.
The incident took place in Sandton, Johannesburg, a time and place where personal security precautions-including carrying a firearm-were not uncommon due to high crime rates.
Errol, a former engineer and seasoned martial artist, brought his .357 Magnum revolver along as he supervised painting work at a rental home he owned. His daughter accompanied him on the trip.
A violent confrontation in the heart of the home
While preparing a bath for Ali, Errol heard noises from the lounge. He described encountering "about seven or eight men," one of whom was well-dressed in a jacket and tie.
The lights were on due to the painting inspection, making visibility clear throughout the house. When Errol approached and asked how they had entered despite the electric fencing, what followed was a rapid escalation into life-threatening violence.
"He brought up his left arm-I presumed he wanted to shake hands... and I saw the sparks come from his hands and he fired a weapon at me with his left hand more or less from the hip," Errol recalled. "I probably ducked or dived or did something... the bullet went past me into a glass door which came crashing down."
Instincts from two decades of karate kicked in, allowing Errol to escape the initial shot. He dashed to the bathroom to retrieve his revolver. As the intruders followed, he took aim at the man who had just tried to shoot him.
"I took out the guy with the tie... and that bullet went into the chap behind him as well," he said.
A third assailant was shot in the hip and later died from his injuries. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned-Errol claimed the attackers fired 52 rounds in total-his two shots proved deadly.
A narrow escape and a grim warning
The surviving intruders fled the scene, and Errol escaped with his daughter through a broken window. They flagged down help on the street before going into hiding and later seeking therapy. While Errol initially faced manslaughter charges, he was acquitted on grounds of self-defense.
Reflecting on the situation, he speculated on what would have happened had he not been armed.
"Well, I would have just been killed outright. Ali, they would have turned into muti," he said. The term "muti" refers to traditional African medicine, which in some extreme and criminal contexts involves ritual killings.
According to Errol, police told him that his daughter might have been dismembered and used in witchcraft.
"Her head would have been dangling from a taxi mirror," he said. "They boil the head until it is shrunk, and they hang it from a taxi mirror."