Madonna’s adoption bid for, “Mercy” takes another blow

May 3, 2009 by Baby Chums
Filed under: Celebrity Baby News

Last month Madonna was denied the adoption of Chifundo “Mercy” James, the Malawian girl. Madonna will take her case for adoption to the Malawi Supreme Court tomorrow.

In a dramatic turn of events a man claiming to be the father of Mercy has come forward saying: “I want to take care of her and I’m capable to take care of my baby.”

James Kambewa, 24, said that he wished to raise Chifundo, despite not having actually met her.

Mr Kambewa admitted that he had seen his daughter only “in newspapers and on TV, not face to face” in a CBS News interview.

“I need her to grow as a Malawian, as well as with our culture,” he said. “I don’t have the money to pay a lawyer, but I am looking for one so that I can issue an injunction stopping Madonna from continuing to seek to adopt my daughter.”

A Malawian court rejected Madonna’s request to adopt the child last month. The law states that foreigners seeking to adopt in Malawi must have been resident in the country for at least 18 months.

The residency restriction was waived when Madonna adopted four-year-old David Banda, also from Malawi, in 2006. Madonna’s Malawian lawyer said that the singer, 50, would give Chifundo a “good life”, as she had given to Banda.

Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, said that they had received no confirmation that Mr Kambewa was the real father of Chifundo. “All I know is that [she] has been in an orphanage since the day she was born.”