Zakes Mda Weighs In as Lebo M Ordered to Pay $40K After Losing Lion King Lawsuit

• South African author Zakes Mda publicly slammed Lebo M's lawsuit against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi over a joke about The Lion King's famous opening chant
• A US federal court ruled in the comedian's favour on 28 August 2026, citing First Amendment protections for artistic expression
• The case centred on whether the chant's lyrics should be read literally or figuratively, and Mzansi has had a lot to say about the outcome

South African literary giant Zakes Mda has added his voice to the growing chorus of criticism aimed at Lion King lyricist Lebohang Morake, better known as Lebo M, after a US court ordered him to pay nearly $40,000 in legal fees following a failed lawsuit against a Zimbabwean comedian. The case has since become the talk of social media, with many questioning Lebo M's decision to sue in the first place.

Mda, writing on X on 30 August 2026, described the legal action as "an extremely wrong-headed lawsuit," adding that the lyricist was "misguided and ill-advised." He broke down the crux of the dispute in straightforward terms: the comedian made a literal interpretation of The Lion King's iconic opening chant, translating it as "Look, there's a lion. Oh my god," while Lebo M argued that only a figurative reading was appropriate. Mda also noted that the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression including artistic expression in the United States, played a decisive role in the outcome.

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US Court Rules Against Lebo M

The United States District Court for the Central District of California handed down its ruling on 28 August 2026 in the case Lebohang Morake v. Learnmore Mwanyenyeka (Case No. 2:26-cv-02795-JLS-AS). The court granted the defendant's motion for attorneys' fees and awarded $39,560, with Learnmore Jonasi's legal team given five days to file a proposed judgment.

The case had drawn significant attention given Lebo M's status as the composer behind one of cinema's most recognisable soundtracks. His decision to sue Jonasi over a lighthearted comedic interpretation of the chant struck many observers as an overreach from the outset.

Mzansi had plenty to say once the ruling came through. See the original post that reignited the debate:

@LwaziM1715742 offered a measured take: "Chances are that the legal practitioner advised the lyricist on the aforementioned issues and the prospects of success. However, all legal practitioners are ultimately creatures of their instructions."

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@amudeeh was more blunt: "A hard lesson for him; he acted with emotions and thought he would get easy money. The court humbled the lyricist."

@XLifeSOS brought a pointed edge to the conversation: "Xenophobia got to his head lol 😆 now he has to pay."

@Nerejod raised a question many were asking: "So the lyricist wasted the court's time or wrong suit?"

@Afuze pointed to a strategic misstep: "He shouldn't have filed in California. He was never likely to win there anyway. This is why Johnny Depp filed in Virginia."

@Sim_Cekiso kept it honest: "😂😂😂😂 I was rooting for him yaz."

Source: Briefly News