Franzisla Krug/Action Press/ Zuma, BARM/Fame Pictures Despite a strenuous opposition, the Malawi government has thrown its support behind Madonna's bid to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James.
Malawian Information Minister Patricia Kaliati told Reuters the star has helped the southern African country and is impressed with her mothering skills.
"Madonna has been good to us, she is supporting over 25,000 orphans in this country and she has proved that she can take care of David," she said. "Very few rich and famous people can take time to fly all the way to Malawi to support our children. We support her adoption process."
Tomorrow, the country's High Court is set to rule whether or not the 50-year-old biological mother of Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, 8, and adopted mother of David Banda, 3, will be granted an interim adoption.
Madonna's local African lawyer, Alan Chinula, is confident the adoption will be approved.
"I am not sleeping sleepless nights over this," he told Us Weekly. "I don't see any law in Malawi that can stop this adoption."
The attorney also confirms that much of the paperwork has already been completed. He says the girl's uncle, Peter Baneti, "has already signed off the consent forms, and Madonna countersigned them."
As for some of the controversy and accusations regarding this adoption as well as David's in 2006, Chinula calls laws requiring an 18-24 month assessment period "archaic. Laws must be dynamic. They must move with current trends."