Lebo M weighs legal options after court ruling in Learnmore Jonasi matter
Composer and producer Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake is exploring other legal options after losing his defamation case against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi.
In early March, Lebo M instituted a $27m (R435m) lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California against Jonasi after his viral interview on the ONE45 podcast for his misinterpretation of “Nants’ Ingonyama” from the song Circle of Life in Disney’s The Lion King movie.
In the podcast, Jonasi claimed Nants’ Ingonyama means “look, there’s a lion”.
Morake sued the Zimbabwean for defamation for allegedly damaging his reputation by intentionally mistranslating the chant on his podcast.
The court, however, dismissed the lawsuit on July 10 and, on August 29, ordered him to pay Jonasi $39,560 (about R640,000) in statutory legal fees under California’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) statute because Jonasi successfully prompted the dismissal of the claims.
In a statement shared with TshisaLIVE, Lebo M and his legal team said despite the ruling, he maintained he wanted to explore his rights to protect his cultural contribution.
“This matter has never been about winning a war of personalities, social media narratives or public popularity. It has always been about something significantly greater: the protection of heritage, legacy, cultural dignity and the right to challenge conduct believed to diminish or disrespect those values,” read the statement.
“For more than three decades, Lebo M has carried African creativity, culture and storytelling onto some of the world’s most influential stages. His contribution to the global cultural landscape has been built not simply on artistic excellence, but on an unwavering conviction that African identity, heritage and creative legacy deserve to be protected, respected and represented with dignity.”
The principal matter was withdrawn without prejudice, preserving the legal position and the ability to consider further appropriate steps, the statement said.
“Lebo M and his legal team are therefore studying the implications of the latest determination and evaluating the options available to them. We will not litigate this matter through social media, nor will we allow online commentary to define the significance of the principles at stake.”