African Girl's Father Doesn't Want Madonna To Adopt Her

NEW YORK — The father of an African girl Madonna hopes to adopt says he wants to take care of his daughter himself _ even though he's never met her.

James Kambewa, believed to be the biological father of Chifundo "Mercy" James, said he doesn't want the pop star to adopt the 4-year-old.

"I want to take care of her, and I'm capable to take care of my baby," he told CBS' "The Early Show" in an interview to be aired Monday. "Mercy, she is a Malawian _ so (I) need her to grow as a Malawian as well with our culture."

Kambewa wears a necklace bearing his daughter's name but has never met her and says he has only seen her "in newspapers and TV _ not face to face."

Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an e-mail message Saturday she doesn't know if Kambewa is the father of the girl, who lives in an orphanage.

"All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born," Rosenberg said.

Madonna's appeal of a court ruling denying her request to adopt the girl is to be heard Monday in Malawi, in southeast Africa. The "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" singer already has adopted a son, David, from there.

Malawi requires prospective parents to live there for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability. The rule wasn't applied when Madonna was allowed to take David to London in 2006.

Comments

[TimLB]

Her music is hideous, but I have to give her props for trying to save this girl's life.

[alwqb]

"I want to take care of her but I have never met her?" The child is 3 or 4! The "relatives" all say they will take care of the child but she remains in an orphanage. This child was abandoned. The care and love Mercy would receive from Madonna is insurmountable. Food, clothing, and love from a mother is not going to come from a list of "family members" who dumped this child in an orphanage. If this child were a boy and not a girl I am sensing they wouldn't stand in the way. I guess keeping women oppressed is a guideline for helping little girls.

[FabulousAt52]

Hey Madonna Haters... put aside your snarky comments, your ridicule and name calling and watch these: (See if you can melt your stone cold hearts and see what the real deal is about)

http://www.movieweb.com/video/HUkMepkrWn9Bns

https://www.raisingmalawi.org/whoweare09.php

See what Malawi is REALLY like, how those poor kids REALLY suffer, and what Madonna's charity is REALLY doing-- before you go ripping her apart because she's rich and/or a celebrity. There are many rich people, as well as rich celebrities who contribute NOTHING to our world...why not save your anger and envy for them?

[CyndiC]

I agree w/ BeyondKen. The 'father' only wants her now that he realizes who wants to adopt Mercy. Let Mercy have a wonderful life w/ Madonna and family. I have friends who have adopted from Russia and China. It's a free country. Hopefully Madonna will be able to add Mercy to her beautiful family.

[BeyondKen]

"I think I have what it takes to raise a daughter,"

According to NBC News, the child, now 4, was placed in the orphanage when her 14-year-old mother died a few weeks after giving birth.

Therefore, if James Kambewa is telling the truth, he impregnated a 14-year old girl, then abandoned her before even seeing his own child.

"I'm capable to take care of my baby," Sure.

[ladydragon]

Madonna is trying to BUY sombody else's Black child. She has no business raising Black children when there are white children in foster care right here in America. Whether that child's father raised her or not should not be a factor as to whether Madonna gets to "buy" her. Madonna was allowed bypass laws that would have applied to everyone else and she got away with it, this should not happen again.

[Tugar]

ladydragon...

Your comments are SO VERY WRONG !

Madonna and anyone else should adopt children, FROM ANY COUNTRY OF THEIR CHOICE, FROM WHATEVER RACIAL AND/OR ETHNIC group they wish.

There are many Whites who go to foreign lands to adopt because the adoption procedures here in America comes with a multitude of red tape and often strings.

OPEN UP YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART DEAR PERSON !

[Tugar]

SO, SO TIPICAL...

A DEADBEAT PARENT, (IN THIS CASE, A DAD), talking sheer nonsense about taking care of: HIS CHILD, when he hasn't done a thing so far for it, and hasn't even seen the child. Now a little fame and fanfair comes along concerning the child, and he pops up with some: "I'M THE DADDY" nonsense.

Give me a break P L EA S E !!!

I think the man sees possible $$$ signs in Madonn'a interest to adopt the child. So, I'm saying right here and now to Madonna: Don't give this man or anyone else a dime in your hopes of adopting this child ! I know you and your other children may have bonded with the baby, but when things turn into a out for money circus, WALK AWAY. I NOW ITS HARD, BUT JUST WALK AWAY !

[harriettubman]

He's never seen or taken care of her but wants her to stay in the country. Black social workers use to say the same darn thing. They wanted only blacks to adopt black children. Unfortunately, their limited ideology kept those children in rotating foster homes until they reached 18. A child doesn't care who you are or what you look like. They just want to be loved. Mercy deserves the one chance she has to get OUT of that orphanage!

[jrandy]

This guy dumps his kid in an ORPHANAGE (where adoptions are supposed to take place)

And now not only he, but all of YOU, who probably don't lift a finger in the name of charity, are better than Madonna

What a bunch of losers you are

[Levi251]

If she wants to give an abandoned child a privilege life who are we to judge? My god she only wants to raise a happy and healthy kid. DAMN

[strawberryjulius]

There are lots of children who are up for adoption in the United States. Maybe she can raise one of them. I am willing to bet there are thousands of parents in the U.S. who would not contest Madonna's petition to adopt their child.

[tora]

Agree. There's no way she will adopt a U.S. orphan like a commoner... I thinks she wants to rule Malawi one day. This woman doesn't lift a finger without an agenda.

[Progressive Pete]

Purchasing children from the third world is so progressive.

[solarian]

can't she have her own child I guess she is barren just like her music

[noudidnt]

Soon more rich white Euros and Americans will be flocking to Africa to buy and perhaps, m_0l_e..st more babies. Why do these people want to buy children from Africa? S-i.Ck0s

[JDRNYC]

Why this woman continues to be relevent is a mystery. She's a horrible singer/actress, and everything she's ever done has been a direct rip-off of someone else. Even all of the adoption drama is a rehash of Mia Farrow and Angelina, among others. Every single thing Madonna does has one purpose - to keep her name in the press.

[brooklyncitizen]

lol
and you know this firsthand huh?

[colorperdaughter]

Exactly, I suspect she has some version of borderline personality disorder, no central identity, just feeds off others. I mean, the latest nonsense, Kabala? She was the catholic naughty girl there for a bit, he english "lady", etc etc

[allieq]

you're talking about her...it's working...

[shell00724]

I totally AGREE! I think she embarks on these controversial quests to stay relevant and remain in the world News, and she succeeds. But, in her case, familiarity has bred contempt.

She maintains a staff of nannies who raise the children. They are the real surrogate mothers, and when she unceremoniously dismisses them, or they run screaming from her tyrannical employment, those kids are traumatised since they're the real moms.

With her vigorous workout schedule, sex life with toy boys, and multitude of projects related to her career, she has little time for these children. They are fashion, to make her look younger as she crosses the menopausal threshhold. They are like the little purse chihuahuas dressed up in coordinate outfits. In fact, they are the ultimate exotic pets. She makes me sick.

[PlayTOE]

So the father has never even met his 4 year old child but wants to take care of her?
Where was he for the past 4 years?

This is just a really bad scheme to get money from someone who is rich and trying to do something nice for his child.
(If it's not just a scam, he should be paying 4 years child support to the orphanage, and working to prove he will be a good parent, something he has shown himself incapable of for the past four years).

[FabulousAt52]

No, no no playtoe... you must weigh the Madonna hatred on one hand... and the Baby Daddy Scam on the other and figure out which is more repugnant to you. Madonna haters put their irrational hatred, based on envy and jealousy, waaaaay above anyone else's short comings or scam.

So of course Madonna "loses" this one. She loses them ALL in these people's eyes.
It's not about Mercy.... it's about Madonna is rich, sexual, independent WOMAN, and she makes these haters' lives seem small and insignificant. They can't handle it.