LISTEN: Father of child taken during New Germany hijacking speaks
A Durban father has described the panic and fear he felt as hijackers forced him out of his vehicle and sped off with his four-year-old daughter over the weekend.
Thokozane Dlamini says he was returning to his Morningside flat in the early hours of Saturday morning - when he was approached by four armed men at a robot.
Dlamini says they smashed one of the windows and pushed him and the little girl into the back seat.
Dlamini says a lady who saw him pleading with the hijackers to give him the child - stopped to assist him.
"She tried calming me down and she had to escort me to the nearest police station. I was panicking and didn't know what to think," he said.
A frantic search was launched for the girl.
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Dlamini says he received a call later on Saturday afternoon - telling him his daughter was outside Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Phoenix.
He says even though she was distressed - his little girl - who'd memorised her mother's phone number - was able to give the number to the person who found her.
"She's very smart. In fact - we have been teaching her a few numbers - the emergency numbers. She's fine. We are so excited and I was very happy. The car was recovered late yesterday in the Mariannhill, Marianridge area," Dlamini said.