Two people have been arrested after a 16-hour hijacking ordeal which left a 21-year-old man dead from suffocation in the boot of a car, Gauteng police said.

Director Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said a man and a woman were arrested in Berea, Durban. They allegedly hijacked four men in Lenasia, shoved them into the boot of a car and then drove 16 hours to Durban.

"They were arrested by a trio crime task team from Sebokeng, who went to Durban and were assisted by the local police," Mariemuthoo said.

An unlicensed pistol was recovered at the scene.

The two will appear in the Meyerton Magistrates Court on Thursday.

"We will definitely oppose bail tomorrow as we are investigating further. We are still looking for one more person who was involved in the hijacking."

The victims were two brothers — Claude Govender (26), his brother Dexter (21) their cousin — Gerard Govender (21) and a close friend, Justin Pillay (24).

They were out on Thursday night in Lenasia when they were allegedly set-up by a woman they gave a lift to.

The woman asked for their numbers and called them a little later saying that she wanted them to meet her friends.

When they went back to see the woman, a man known as Graham produced a gun and ordered them into the boot. Their bank cards and cellphones were taken.

The hijackers then drove their victims around the streets of Johannesburg for hours, before taking the N3 freeway towards Durban.

According to reports, at 11am on Friday the hijackers stopped at a large shopping mall in Durban. By then both Dexter and Justin were in respiratory distress.

"My brother's breathing changed and he began frothing at the mouth and choking. I kept telling him it would be all right, but he couldn't hear me," Claude said.

Between 2pm and 3pm the hijackers stopped at Cross Street, off Prince Edward, and threatened to shoot the victims if they tried to follow them.

Police and emergency personnel were at the scene within minutes but it was too late for Dexter Govender, it was reported.

Sapa

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