Lebohang Morake, known popularly as Lebo M, is suing a comedian for $27 million (KSh. 3.5B), alleging a viral joke about the opening chant of The Lion King distorted the meaning of the song and damaged his life’s work.
The Grammy award-winning composer wrote the opening chant in the 1994 Lion King and the Broadway show of the same name.
The chant – “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba”- written in isiZulu and isiXhosa, translates to “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king,” according to the federal lawsuit filed against the comedian.
The lawsuit further says that the chant is a Praise Imbongi, a form of royal praise poetry, and stands independently as an African vocal proclamation rooted in cultural tradition.
However, according to Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, a Zimbabwean‑born comedian and content creator, who appeared on the One54 Africa podcast, the chant translates to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”
When asked if he was joking, Mwanyenyeka replied, “That’s exactly what it means.”
According to the complaint, multiple viewers stated they believed the translation was correct, with some describing it as having “ruined their childhood.”
While “ingonyama” can translate to “lion” in Zulu, according to the lawsuit, in Praise Imbongi and royal metaphor, “Ngonyama or Ingonyama” signifies kingship, ancestral authority, and sovereign presence.
The translation “is a fabricated, trivialising distortion, meant as a sick joke for unlawful self-profit and destruction of the imaginative and artistic work of Lebo M,” the lawsuit states.
Morake accused the comedian of attempting to erase more than 30 years of cultural and artistic work. Mwanyenyeka, according to the complaint, said he had been performing the joke for eight years.
The lawsuit further alleges Mwanyenyeka continued using the bit at comedy clubs in Los Angeles and across the U.S. after the clip went viral and attempted to monetise it through merchandise. His attorneys argue those actions demonstrate “actual malice.”
Mwanyenyeka was served while appearing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles this month and posted footage of the incident on his Instagram.
In the footage, someone with a manila folder approaches the stage as Mwanyenyeka performs. The comedian asks: “What is this? What does this say?” And the person responds, “service.”
Mwanyenyeka proceeded to laugh and told the audience the backstory of the viral jest.
Mwanyenyeka has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover legal expenses related to the lawsuit, which seeks more than $20 million (KSh. 2.5B) in alleged damages and estimates disgorgement of profits at about $7 million (907.5M).
