Madonna arrived in Malawi on Monday, her first trip back since gaining custody of one-year-old David Banda, the boy she is seeking to adopt and raise in London. The 48-year-old pop star landed near the capital and was taken under heavy security to a private lodge, declining to speak to reporters.
Her spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, said the visit was focused on charity work, including overseeing construction of a children's healthcare center. Liz Rosenberg stated flatly: "She is absolutely not adopting another baby."
Speculation had mounted after British tabloid The Sun reported that Madonna had expressed interest in a three-year-old girl named Grace from a separate orphanage. Officials at that facility denied any such child was in their care and said they do not permit adoptions.
During the three-day stay, David was expected to be reunited with his biological father, Yohane Banda, 32, at the Home of Hope orphanage where the boy previously lived. Banda told reporters he had learned of the planned visit only through journalists and had received no official notification.
Madonna's adoption of David, not yet finalized, drew criticism from advocacy groups in Malawi who argued she had used her wealth to circumvent the country's child custody regulations.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2007, in its own words.