Skip to content

Lion King: Petition calls on Disney to drop 'hakuna matata' trademark

iStock Pumba and Kiara from Walt Disney's 'The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride'. The plush toys were part of McDonald's Happy Meals in 1998.iStock
Film merchandise and franchising are lucrative spin-offs

A petition accusing Disney of "colonialism and robbery" for trademarking a phrase used in the film The Lion King has attracted more than 30,000 signatures.

"Hakuna matata" means "no problem" or "no worries" in the Swahili language, which is spoken across East Africa.

Disney first applied to trademark the catchphrase in 1994 - the same year it released The Lion King animation.

The row has arisen now amid hype over its live-action remake.

Petition organiser Shelton Mpala hopes he can persuade the US company to abandon its "hakuna matata" trademark.

"A lot of Swahili speakers have been utterly shocked, they had no idea this was happening," Mr Mpala told the BBC.

"Growing up in Zimbabwe, I always had an understanding that a culture's language was its richness."

Disney has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

The Lion King franchise also includes a stage musical, merchandise such as T-shirts and toys, and computer games, plus several film sequels and TV spin-offs.

Chris Polk/Getty Images Lion at the El Capitan Theatre during DVD Debut of Walt Disney Pictures' 'The Lion King' - Arrivals in Hollywood, California, United States.Chris Polk/Getty Images

Mr Mpala says he is not a Swahili speaker but he believes the trademark is merely the latest example of Africa being "exploited in some shape, fashion or form".

He is not alone.

Some Kenyan newspapers have also accused Disney of stealing from Kenyan culture by claiming ownership of the phrase, and the current debate appears to have started with this article on the Business Daily Africa news site.

News of the trademark has also angered many on social media:

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Presentational white space

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Presentational white space

Some see it as a missed opportunity that African companies could have capitalised on:

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Presentational white space

While others say they first associate it with a different "Hakuna Matata" song. This track, by Kenyan band The Mushrooms, was released a decade before the Disney film and later covered by Boney M:

Allow Google YouTube content?

This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.