“American Cops Think It’s AI”: Mzansi Reacts After Joburg Man Pranks JMPD Officers in Twitter Video

Johannesburg Metro Police Department officers became the latest victims of a viral tree costume prank. A video posted on X by @KingMntungwa on 19 May 2026 showed the moment Joburg cops walked straight into the trap. Mzansi found the whole thing absolutely priceless.

The prank is a well-known one that has caught many people out before. A person sits completely still inside a realistic tree costume. To anyone passing by, it looks just like an ordinary tree. The moment someone gets close enough, the “tree” suddenly moves or greets them, catching the person completely off guard.

JMPD officers take the prank in good spirits

The Joburg officers fell for it just like everyone else who has crossed paths with this trick. What got Mzansi talking, though, was how relaxed the cops were once they realised what had happened. They simply laughed it off and kept it moving.

That easygoing reaction sparked a bigger conversation online. Many South Africans were quick to point out that the same prank on an American street could have ended very differently. The concern carries some weight. Gunshots accounted for 94% of all police-involved deaths in 2025 in the US, with 11% of those killed being unarmed. On average, US police shoot and kill more than 1,000 people every year.

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South Africans flooded the comments praising the JMPD officers for keeping their cool, where others might not have.

Watch the clip below:

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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News