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Madonna gets Mercy
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 15 June 2009
As you no doubt already know, Madonna has successfully appealed that previously reported court ruling that stopped her from adopting a second Malawian child.
As previously reported, in April a Malawian court ruled that, despite the fact the singer managed to adopt David Banda out of the country in 2006, she couldn’t adopt a second child because she hadn’t fulfilled all the requirements of the nation’s adoption laws, in particular with regards residency in Malawi. But on Friday an appeal court ruled that the singer’s charity work in the country was a sufficient alternative to actual residency in the country in order for the adoption to be approved. As a result, Chifundo “Mercy” James will now join Madonna and Banda in the US.
Most commentators in Malawai seemed to welcome the appeal court ruling, though the man who is claiming paternity of the girl, despite having never met her, says he is still opposed to the adoption. James Kambewa told reporters: “I wrote to the court challenging the adoption because I am ready and willing to take care of my child. How can they continue referring to her as an orphan when I told them I am there for her? I won’t give up the fight”.
Kambewa is not backed by the rest of Chifundo’s family. Her uncle, Peter Baneti, told reporters: “We, as a family, have been anxiously awaiting this ruling – we are very happy for Chifundo”. On Kambewa’s claims, Baneti said the girl’s alleged father could “jump into Lake Malawi” for all he cared, adding: “We don’t know this James boy. He was not there when my sister was pregnant; he didn’t attend her funeral. How can he just come out to claim the baby? Does he want to steal my niece?”
Madonna wasn’t present for the hearing, but her lawyer told reporters that he had called her with the good news, adding: “My client was ecstatic; although it was still early in the States she was up to wait for the ruling”.
Confirming the ecstasy, Madonna later said in a statement: “I am extremely grateful for the Supreme Court’s ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James. I am ecstatic… my family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her”.