Dad: 'Mercy should be raised as Malawian'

The man claiming to be the father of the Malawian child that Madonna hopes to adopt has again spoken out against the star.

Speaking to CBS's The Early Show, James Kambewa insisted that he wanted four-year-old Mercy James to be raised "as a Malawian" depsite having never met the child.

"I want to take care of her, and I'm capable to take care of my baby. Mercy, she is a Malawian - so [I] need her to grow as a Malawian as well with our culture," he explained.

"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 representative for Madonna told The Times that she was unaware of whether Kambewa really was the child's father, saying: "All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born."

Madonna's application to adopt Mercy was rejected by a Malawian court last month because of the requirement for prospective parents to live in the country for 18 to 24 months. An appeal against that decision is scheduled to be heard later today.

Kambewa, who is currently waiting to learn if Legal Aid will help him oppose the application, has previously spoken out against the singer, claiming that she "doesn't portray good morals".

> Judge to reject Madonna adoption appeal?