Girl's Father Speaks Out Against Madonna's Adoption Bid2009-05-03

The father of the African girl Madonna is seeking to adopt says he opposes the adoption and wants to take care of the girl himself.

James Kambewa -- who claims to the biological father of 4-year-old Mercy James of Malawi -- tells CBS News in an interview to be broadcast on Monday's "The Early Show" that he opposes the adoption, the Associated Press reports.

"I want to take care of her, and I'm capable of taking care of my baby," Kambewa says in the interview. "Mercy, she is a Malawian, so [I] need her to grow as a Malawian ... with our culture," he adds.

Kambewa says he's never met his daughter and has only seen her picture in newspapers and on television. Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg says she doesn't know if Kambewa is the girl's father. She says the girl has been in an orphanage all her life.

The pop star's appeal of a court ruling denying her request to adopt the girl is to be heard on Monday in Malawi. The singer already successfully adopted a son from the southeast African nation.

Share