Mixed reactions in South Africa, following the lawsuit brought by Lebohang Morake against Zimbabwean playwright Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, known as Learnmore Jonasi.
The composer of "The Lion King" accuses the Zimbabwean of intentionally mistranslating the song that opens the 1994 Disney film and is central to the stage versions as well as the 2019 Disney remake.
“If we say (Nantsi Ingo nyama), it means ‘here is the king,’ but this is a creative work, and creative works tend to deviate from the strict meanings of things. However, from our understanding of the term ‘lion king,’ that’s exactly what it is: simply a symbolic representation of a king as a person. I don’t see how a Zulu could feel offended by these realities. This happens all the time, in dramatic works, even in praise of the king. Some words are distorted for impact, and this isn’t considered cultural defamation or an insult,” explains Professor Musa Xulu, a cultural expert.
In his lawsuit filed in March in Los Angeles federal court, the South African man is seeking $27 million from the Zimbabwean comedian, accusing him of intentionally mocking "the cultural significance of the song through exaggerated imitations." The claim is considered excessive.
"I don't think Lebo M should be demanding such a sum, because it's a lot of money; for an average comedian, it's truly impossible to have that kind of money. It's a huge amount to raise, it's not easy, and I don't think he intended for this joke to be perceived as an attack on our culture or anything like that. It was just a moment of improvisation," said Johannesburg resident Livingstone Khoarai.
The dispute stems from Zimbabwean Jonasi's translation of the lyrics to "The Lion King" from Zulu and Xhosa, two of South Africa's 12 national languages. This occurred during his stand-up shows and in a recent podcast interview.
