Malawi rights groups vow to fight Madonna adoption

LILONGWE, Oct 19 (Reuters) Malawi rights groups vowed to press ahead with a legal bid to stop Madonna from adopting a local one-year old boy, even though the child's family have given their consent to the pop diva.

Madonna has angered rights groups with her plans to adopt young David Banda, who left his native country on Tuesday for the singer's home in London after she was granted a temporary adoption by Malawi authorities.

Banda will stay with Madonna for 18 months, during which time his progress will be monitored by Malawi officials before final approval can be given for him to join her family.

Madonna yesterday said she wants to give Banda a better life than he would have had at the orphanage where he lived in Malawi but activists accuse her of using her fame to bypass Malawi's laws, which ban adoption by foreigners.

Justin Dzonzi, a lawyer for rights groups pushing for a court order against the interim adoption granted to Madonna, said they plan to approach the courts next week.

''We will meet the judge sometime next week and proceed with an injunction pending the process of adoption granted to Madonna last week by the High Court,'' Dzonzi said.

FATHER WANTS BETTER LIFE FOR SON Yohane Banda said activists had approached him on Tuesday to back their objections but he believed Madonna was able to give his son a better life.

''This is our child and we made the decision that Madonna takes him because we wish him a good life. No one will stop that because they cannot look after him if he is returned,'' he said.

David's grandmother Asianati Mwale, 56, condemned organizations that are pressing for the court to suspend the interim order.

''Where were they when I and my son were trying to get someone to look after this child? Do they even know what we have had to go through to save the life of David. We trust that Madonna will look after our child well and he will have a better life,'' she said.

A senior member of one of the groups that wants to stop the adoption said that the family's approval weakened their court case.

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