“Don’t Bully Others”: Young Man Sued and Jailed After Mean Remarks About Dominic Zaca, SA Debates

• A TikTok user has gone viral after sharing a sobering story of how a past social media mistake led to a criminal record and jail time
• The creator detailed how his application for university was derailed when a background check exposed an active criminal case against his name
• The post triggered a debate among viewers, with some using his experience as an educational warning for youth, while others questioned the severity of his sentence

A young man has left Mzansi stunned after sharing how a historical online post derailed his academic future and sent him to jail for four months. Shared by user @nobangella_ on Monday, 1 June 2026, the video details how the punishment he received for a mistake he made when he was in Grade 10 resurfaced and led to a five-year ban at universities.

The creator explained that his troubles came to light in January 2026 after he was accepted into every university he had applied to. During the registration, however, he was required to submit a police clearance certificate and a National Child Protection Register clearance. When he went to the police station to obtain these documents, officials informed him that an active case was attached to his name. TikTok user @nobangella_ was subsequently arrested and spent four months in jail. He said that because he now possesses a criminal record, he is legally barred from attending school or tertiary institutions for the next five years.

Read also

Woman gets emotional detailing the obstacles she faced while pushing for justice for Gaby Ndaba

The 2024 incident involving Dominic Zaca

The creator traced the origin of his criminal record back to an incident that took place in 2024. At the time, he was a 16-year-old high school student when he made the video targeting Dominic while promoting a sneaker brand. The video was condemned as homophobic and constituted severe body shaming, prompting Dominic to pursue legal action. The creator was sued for R45,000 and had a criminal case opened against him.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi discusses the young man's sentence

The post went viral attractive massive comments from viewers who shared mixed reactions. Many said the video should be used to educate young social media users on the downside of online freedom. Some felt that Dominic's punishment was harsh. They said there were other ways the influencer could have used to teach the young man a lesson without sending him to jail. Others, however, felt that the cr story was not real. They felt that he was just being sarcastic about the whole saga.

Read also

"Madlanga gave us characters": SA dusted by Brown Mogotsi's facial expressions at his bail hearing

User @Michelle thee News Anchor shared:

"This is harsh. Someone, please help this young man. He must go to school."

Use r@hahahelpme added:

"Moral of the story: Do not bully other people on social media."

User @ 𝑺 𝒊 𝒃 𝒐 said:

"An apology would have avoided this, but you didn’t want to apologise back then."

User @Busi Solatsho shared:

"This video needs to be used to educate the younger kids👍🏽."

User @ Nikita commented:

"Am I really the only one who thinks he's just being sarcastic. Like, he's kinda mocking how nothing happened to him after the lawsuit saga? Angazi maan, but there's just something about this video that screams sarcasm."

User @phila said:

"People will learn to leave others alone!"

3 Briefly News prison-related articles

• A local man sparked an online debate after sharing the significant number of foreign inmates in South African prisons compared to other African countries.
• Two talented soloists led their prison choir, flaunting their vocal abilities and getting the rest of the team excited, singing a gospel song.
• A loyal wife shared a video of her emotional journey to visit her imprisoned husband, highlighting the tough reality of having an incarcerated partner.

Source: Briefly News