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Madonna bankrolls man from Malawian adoption ministry

06.01.07

Meet Willard from Malawi. Madonna's paying £20,000 for his education in Britain. Oh, and he works for the adoption ministry.

The row over Madonna's adopted African baby has erupted again after it became clear that a civil servant working for the ministry which handled the case is studying in Britain at her expense.

The Mail on Sunday has learned the singer agreed to pay for Willard Manjolo's living expenses and tuition fees, thought to be about £20,000, four months before she was granted temporary custody of the child.

Leading Malawian lawyer Justin Dzodzi says her sponsorship of Mr Manjolo 'could be construed as payment for the adoption'. Mr Dzodzi, who is campaigning for a legal challenge against the adoption, said: "The entire circumstances surrounding the case need to be re-examined and this latest disclosure is something we would wish to bring before the courts."

Mr Manjolo, 40, who is married with four children and has one grandchild, began a bachelor of science social work degree at Swansea University in September - a month before Madonna left Malawi with 13-month-old David Banda. Malawian government officials said they would have been unable to fund him.

Adrina Mchiela, principal secretary at the country's Ministry for Gender and Child Welfare, said: "Madonna is paying for everything and we are extremely grateful.

"We had talks with her in June about adopting a child. She asked us whether we had any problems and we saw a chance. We told her the ministry lacked trained personnel and asked if she could help. We told her about Manjolo, who is a social welfare officer, and she immediately responded.

"Madonna indicated a willingness to sponsor more officers. We just have to inform her of our need."

The Mail on Sunday found Mr Manjolo enjoying a breakfast of chicken and rice at his halls of residence. He said he was grateful to Madonna and planned to thank her in the forward of a dissertation he is writing.

"But I don't much like her music - it is for a younger audience,' he confessed. "I prefer music by Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac."

Mr Manjolo said he was not involved in the adoption process and had never met the singer, adding: "It is unfortunate if people use their wealth to manipulate events, but I don't think it happened in this case. Her application was considered on merit.

"If it is in the best interests of the child, people should not argue about it. This child is being given an opportunity. But you must adhere to the professional requirements to avoid child trafficking."

Mr Manjolo has settled in well in Swansea. As part of his induction, he was given a lecture on the city's most famous son, Dylan Thomas. He spends his spare time watching football and enjoying the scenic Gower Peninsula.

"I like the area very much,' he added, 'although the weather is cold and I am missing my wife Taonga. She is a computer programmer and mother.

"I wanted to come on this course in 1984 but funding was a problem and has remained a problem for 22 years.

"I was appointed as the national co-ordinator of a programme to help vulnerable children in 1999, but I thought there would be no chance of completing this course because of a lack of government cash. It was only last August that I was told money had finally been sourced."

Mr Manjolo will remain at Swansea University until November.

Unlike most student digs, he keeps his 12ft by 10ft room in pristine condition with a pile of neatly folded clothes in one corner and a list of seven sins according to Mahatma Gandhi pinned to his noticeboard.

He said Madonna's cash would allow him to train social workers to encourage Malawians to adopt Malawians.

Ironically, that would make it more difficult for wealthy Westerners to use their fortunes to acquire African orphans. Mr Manjolo added: "Over a million children in Malawi are orphans and half of these either lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. Fewer than 100 social workers are struggling to cope with this human tragedy.

"Until now, adoption has always been a foreign practice in Malawi, but the intention is to encourage Malawians to adopt Malawians.

"My completing this course will help my department to develop this policy."

Madonna's spokeswoman was unavailable for comment. Last year the singer defended herself against allegations that she broke Malawi's adoption laws, claiming it had none 'so we made them up as we went along'.

But David Banda's father Yohane said recently that he never wanted the adoption to go ahead.