Popular South African media personality Anele Mdoda has entered the legal battle between acclaimed The Lion King producer Lebo M and his former business associate Sibongankonke “Sibo” Mhlungu, potentially strengthening the latter’s case.
Africa Daily can exclusively reveal that Mdoda has filed a confirmatory affidavit in support of Mhlungu’s lawsuit, alleging that Lebo M told her that Mhlungu had defrauded him of approximately R10.3 million.
Mhlungu has instituted a R5 million defamation lawsuit against Morake in the Johannesburg High Court, claiming he was falsely accused of stealing R10 million from the internationally acclaimed music producer.
According to the affidavit seen by Africa Daily, Mdoda, host of the breakfast show Anele and The Club on 947, stated that Morake personally informed her that Mhlungu had allegedly misappropriated funds.
“On 4 September 2025, I was in the company of Mr Lebogang Morake (‘Mr Morake’) at Steyn City. During this meeting, Mr Morake informed me that Mr Sibo Mhlungu (‘Sibo’) had allegedly defrauded his company in the amount of approximately R10.3 million (ten million three hundred thousand rand),” reads part of the affidavit.
Mdoda said Morake communicated the allegations verbally during the meeting and also referred to a letter purportedly issued by his legal representatives.
She further stated that Morake raised concerns about the alleged mismanagement of funds linked to an Oscar campaign on which they had worked together.
“Mr Morake enquired who had paid for my flights to Los Angeles. I responded that I had personally paid for my entire team’s flights. Mr Morake then alluded that documentation in his possession might reflect differently, namely that he had been informed the flights were paid by him,” she said in the affidavit.
Mdoda said the discrepancy prompted her to contact Mhlungu directly.
“As a result of this discrepancy, I subsequently contacted Sibo to enquire why it would have been recorded or represented that the flights were paid for by Mr Morake.”
She added that the meeting was largely critical of Mhlungu.
“The meeting in question was generally of a critical nature towards Sibo,” the affidavit states.
Mdoda’s affidavit could prove significant in Mhlungu’s case, as it appears to provide independent corroboration that Morake made the allegations at the centre of the defamation dispute.
Mhlungu has asked the Johannesburg High Court to grant him an order compelling Morake to pay him R2.5 million for reputational damage and an additional R2.5 million for loss of sponsorships.
Mhlungu also wants the court to grant an order compelling Morake to publicly apologise and retract the allegations he made against him.
In court papers seen by Africa Daily, Mhlungu said he enjoyed a professional relationship with Morake, and that his company, Independent Media Group Africa Talent Management (Pty) Ltd (IMG), rendered services to the internationally revered icon over the past few years.
He said their relationship ended during or about September 2025 following a dispute relating to post-event accounting for a joint project styled “Lebo M Live”.
He said that after the termination of their relationship, Morake caused a defamatory post to be published on a popular social media blog called Maphepha Ndaba on or about 16 September 2025, in which he accused him of stealing R10 million.
He further said the post suggested that he was dishonest, fraudulent and untrustworthy in business, and had engaged in criminal conduct warranting public censure.
He said the allegations Morake made were factually false, published and/or communicated without any lawful justification, and were intended to convey defamatory imputations which were per se wrongful against him.
Mhlungu further said that, upon learning of the allegations, he pleaded with Morake to retract the allegations and apologise for damaging his image. He communicated this in letters of demand sent to Morake on 18 September and 25 September 2025, respectively.
He said Morake refused to retract, apologise, or withdraw the allegations despite written demands to do so.
Mhlungu said that, as a result of the alleged false allegations, he suffered severe reputational harm, emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation.
Morake’s public relations manager, Siphiwe Majola, had not responded to written questions at the time of publication.