South African composer and musician Lebohang ‘Lebo M’ Morake has been ordered by a United States federal court to pay US$39,560 (about R640,000) in legal fees to Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi following their highly publicised legal battle over a joke about The Lion King’s iconic opening chant.
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The latest ruling is another development in a dispute that began with a viral podcast joke and escalated into a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
How the dispute started
The controversy centred on the famous chant “Nants’ Ingonyama bakithi Baba,” which features at the beginning of Circle of Life from Disney’s The Lion King.
During an appearance on the ONE54 podcast, Learnmore offered a humorous interpretation of the chant, joking that it meant “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God.”
The joke subsequently circulated widely online.
According to TimesLIVE, Lebo M, who is closely associated with the creation and performance of the iconic chant, took issue with Learnmore’s interpretation. He argued that the comedian’s comments misrepresented the meaning of the chant and damaged his reputation and the cultural significance of his work.
In March 2026, Lebo M filed a lawsuit against Learnmore in the US District Court for the Central District of California, seeking US$27 million (approximately R435 million) in damages.
Court dismisses the lawsuit
The original lawsuit was dismissed in July. However, the dismissal did not end the legal battle.
Learnmore had challenged the lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which provides protections against legal claims arising from protected speech.
Following the dismissal, Learnmore sought to recover the legal costs he had incurred while defending himself.
On 28 August 2026, US District Judge Josephine L Staton ruled that Learnmore had prevailed for purposes of the anti-SLAPP proceedings and was therefore entitled to recover attorneys’ fees.
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Why Lebo M must pay R640,000
Learnmore’s legal team initially requested approximately US$45,935 in attorneys’ fees.
After reviewing the lawyers’ work and billing rates, the court reduced the amount and awarded US$39,560, equivalent to roughly R640,000, reported IOL.
Interestingly, reports indicate that Learnmore personally paid his lawyers approximately US$5,350 (around R86,500). His lawyers had represented him at significantly reduced rates because of the importance they placed on his First Amendment rights.
The court nevertheless calculated the award based on what it considered to be the reasonable value of the legal services provided.
The judge also rejected a request for an additional fee enhancement that could have increased the amount awarded.
The court did not rule on the meaning of the chant
Importantly, the latest ruling does not establish whether Learnmore’s humorous translation of the chant was correct or incorrect.
The decision was specifically about legal fees arising from the anti-SLAPP proceedings. It was not a ruling on the cultural or linguistic dispute surrounding the meaning of the Lion King chant.
This distinction is important because the original lawsuit was dismissed without a trial determining the merits of Lebo M’s allegations.
Lebo M weighs his next move
Despite the latest setback, Lebo M and his legal team have indicated that they are considering their options.
In a statement shared with TshisaLIVE, Lebo M’s team said they were studying the implications of the ruling and evaluating the legal options available to them. They also stressed that they did not want the dispute to be determined by social media commentary.
For now, however, the latest chapter of the highly publicised dispute has left Lebo M with a US$39,560 legal bill after Learnmore successfully pursued attorneys’ fees following the anti-SLAPP proceedings.
What began as a comedian’s joke about one of the world’s most recognisable movie songs has therefore developed into a costly legal dispute involving comedy, free speech, cultural heritage and artistic legacy.
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