Online Reporter
Maria Chiguvari
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
WATCH out Lebo M, Learnmore Jonasi is about to turn the heat on you soon and that means you could be a subject of some brutal jokes from the Zimbabwean comedian.
The South African Grammy-winning composer and producer lost his US$27 million lawsuit against Jonasi and, according to the comedian, this is not the end of the story.
In fact, it looks like the beginning, in a way.
“I’ve been holding back from talking about all the drama while the case was ongoing… but now? Game on,” said Jonasi after the lawsuit was dismissed.
The comedian said it was a stressful time for him and also thanked the federal judge in Los Angeles, who dismissed the lawsuit.
“The case has been dismissed! OMG!!! I’m finally free, ladies and gentlemen.
“You have no idea how stressful this whole experience has been.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the judge for dismissing this frivolous case,” said Jonasi.
The lawsuit was filed in March in a federal court in Los Angeles.
It stemmed from Jonasi’s appearance on the One54 Africa podcast, where he jokingly translated the famous Zulu chant that opens Disney’s The Lion King song “Circle of Life.”
During the interview, Jonasi humorously claimed the phrase “Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba” meant “Look, there’s a lion. Oh, my God.”
The light-hearted remark drew laughter from the podcast hosts and the clip later went viral across social media platforms.
Lebo M, whose iconic vocals feature in the opening of “Circle of Life,” argued that the translation was false and claimed it had damaged his reputation.
He maintained that the chant conveys a message akin to, “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”
He accused Jonasi of spreading misinformation with reckless disregard for the truth.
However, a U.S. District Judge dismissed the case on Friday, bringing the legal dispute to an end.
Jonasi’s attorney, Bryan Sullivan, described the ruling as a victory for free speech.
“We have always believed this was a frivolous lawsuit in violation of our client’s First Amendment rights,” Sullivan told Rolling Stone.
He said the dismissal followed the defence team’s motion seeking sanctions against Lebo M.
The lawyer said that Jonasi would now seek to recover attorney’s fees under California’s anti-SLAPP law legislation designed to discourage lawsuits intended to silence free speech on matters of public interest.
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Saturday, Lebo M’s team claimed they did not lose the case.
They are claiming the case was dismissed without prejudice following a mutual settlement between the parties – a legal distinction they say has been widely misunderstood.
The statement said a dismissal without prejudice does not mean either party won or lost the case.
They are arguing that the court did not rule on the merits of the dispute and therefore no findings were made against either side, and the legal claims could still be pursued in future if necessary.
“The proceedings concluded through a mutual settlement, not through an adverse judgment,” reads the statement.
Bongani Ndlovu