“SA Is Going Down the Drain”: Protesters Think Maduro Is Held at the Pretoria US Embassy, SA Stunned
- A social media user shared a video of a young woman participating in a local protest, sparking a social media debate after failing to explain the purpose of her presence at the site
- The viral clip was shared on TikTok, where thousands of viewers reacted to the young woman's confusion regarding the location and the cause
- Social media users expressed shock at the misinformation and questioned the recruitment of youth for political demonstrations
Source: TikTok
A young woman went viral after an awkward exchange during a protest was captured on camera and shared online by a social media user.
The video was shared on TikTok by @willempet on January 8, 2026, and garnered over 46K views along with nearly 600 comments in just a few hours.
The video begins with the young woman wearing a South African Communist Party (SACP) t-shirt while holding a "Hands off Venezuela" placard upside down. When questioned by a female voice about her reason for being there, she stated she was supporting the SACP so they could fight together.
Protester mistakes an embassy for prison
She explained that she heard the group was fighting for someone in prison when asked why they had congregated outside the embassy. In TikTok user @willempet's video woman pressed to identify which prison the person was held at, and the young lady pointed at the US Embassy in Pretoria and said, "I think it's this one." She boldly confirmed her stance after the interviewer asked if she was referring to the embassy building itself.
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Source: UGC
SA reacts to viral protest misinformation
The clip gained many views from an online community that was left stunned by the young lady's misinformation and flooded the post with critical comments. Many viewers wondered how she arrived at the protest in the first place and guessed that she might have been recruited without a proper briefing. Some suggested that the youth should be in school instead of participating in protests that they do not understand. Others were shocked that South Africans were protesting while people from Venezuela were reportedly celebrating the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
User @Clement Chalera joked:
"She is not wrong, if you think about it. Maduro is in that building. The moment you are inside that building, you are in America.
User @sugannaidoo6 added:
"You can't fight our government, but you want to fight the USA."
User @emanon said:
"The youth of the country should go to school and not be protesting."
User @morra commented:
"I can't understand why the Venezuelan people are glad about the arrest, yet some other people, not from that country, are protesting."
User @BUFFY shared:
"It's so bad. That's why we are where we are. SA is going down the drain!"
User @༺ℜΞiLY_ℑ༻ said:
"Whilst the Venezuelans are celebrating 👏😂."
Watch the TikTok video below:
3 Briefly News articles about the US
- A news segment detailed a proposed US law that could require travellers to submit up to five years of social media history for visa clearance, stunning online viewers.
- US President Donald Trump is concerned that he may be impeached if the Democrats win the upcoming midterm elections, which will be held in November 2026.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that he was not concerned about South Africa being invaded by the Donald Trump administration, as he had in Venezuela.
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Source: Briefly News
