A United States federal court has ordered South African composer Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake to pay US$39,560 towards the legal costs of Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi, closing the latest chapter in a dispute that began with a joke about The Lion King.

The order was made on 29 August under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, a law designed to protect people from lawsuits brought to silence public comment. NewZimbabwe.com reported that the court found Jonasi, born Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, qualified as the prevailing party after Morake stepped back from his original claims. TimesLive reported that the court dismissed the lawsuit on 10 July and that the principal matter was withdrawn without prejudice.

The row started with a podcast appearance in which Jonasi offered a comic translation of “Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba”, the opening chant of “Circle of Life”. Rather than the traditional Zulu praise reading, he rendered it roughly as “look, there’s a lion”. Morake, who worked on the music associated with the Disney film, sued in the US District Court for the Central District of California, alleging defamation and arguing the comedian had trivialised a composition of cultural significance. TimesLive put the value of that claim at US$27 million.

According to NewZimbabwe.com, the court set Jonasi’s reasonable attorneys’ fees at US$39,560 but refused his request for an upward multiplier that would have increased the award. The same report said Jonasi paid roughly US$5,350 out of his own pocket, with his lawyers heavily discounting their fees while arguing his First Amendment free-speech rights. The court was explicit that it was not ruling on which translation of the Zulu phrase is correct, only on who had prevailed for the purposes of the anti-SLAPP law.

Morake has not accepted the outcome as final. In a statement issued through his legal team and shared with TshisaLIVE, he said the case had “never been about winning a war of personalities” but about “the protection of heritage, legacy, cultural dignity”. His lawyers said they were studying the ruling and evaluating the options open to them.

For Jonasi, who built his following on the international comedy circuit, the ruling removes a financial threat that had hung over him for much of the year.

Sources: NewZimbabwe.com; TimesLive (TshisaLIVE); The Citizen.

Zimbabwean hip-hop artist Holy Ten, whose real name is Mukudzei Chitsama, has been granted US$500 bail after appearing before a Harare magistrate accused of raping a 14-year-old girl.

The rapper appeared in court on Monday, where Magistrate Jesse Kufa granted bail following a brief initial hearing. The state, represented by prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe, did not oppose bail, saying investigations were continuing. “We are waiting for a forensic report and documents confirming the complainant’s age,” Gangarahwe told the court. Holy Ten was represented by lawyer Admire Rubaya.

According to the state, the alleged offence took place in the Hatfield area of Harare, after the complainant is said to have accompanied the musician from a recording session. The allegations have not been tested in court, and Holy Ten has not entered a plea. He is presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise.

The court set several bail conditions. Holy Ten must report to the police once every Friday, surrender his passport, refrain from interfering with witnesses, and continue residing at his given address. The matter was remanded to 7 August to allow investigators to complete outstanding work, including the forensic report and confirmation of the complainant’s age.

Holy Ten is one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent young musicians, with a large following across the country and in the diaspora, which is partly why the case has drawn intense public attention. Out of respect for the complainant, who is a minor, her identity is not being reported.

Zimbabwean music legend Thomas Mapfumo has agreed to perform two concerts in Zimbabwe after businessman Wicknell Chivayo said he would pay the veteran musician a reported US$1 million.

Mapfumo, who has lived in the United States for years, said the payment was compensation for a professional service rather than a gift, according to reports carried by NewZimbabwe.com and other outlets. Chivayo had earlier made a series of public offers to the Chimurenga music pioneer.

The decision has divided Zimbabweans. Supporters argue that Mapfumo — long a critic of the political establishment — deserves to be rewarded after decades of shaping the country’s music. Critics have questioned the optics of accepting money from Chivayo, a politically connected businessman whose name has repeatedly featured in controversies over government-linked deals.

The debate has played out widely on social media, reflecting Mapfumo’s enduring cultural significance both at home and across the Zimbabwean diaspora.