THE man believed to be the father of the Malawian child who pop star Madonna wants to adopt has said that he opposes the move. James Kambewa told a US TV station that he would be able to look after four year-old Chifundo Mercy James, even though he had never met her. He said that he wanted the little girl to be raised as a Malawian. Madonnas appeal against a court ruling that denied her request to adopt the child is to be heard on Monday. She has already adopted a boy, David, from Malawi. Mr Kambewa told CBS televisions The Early Show that he wore a necklace bearing his daughters name around his neck, even though he had never seen her in person. I want to take care of her, and Im capable to take care of my baby, he said. Mercy, she is a Malawian - so [I] need her to grow as a Malawian as well with our culture. A spokeswoman for Madonna said that she did not know if Mr Kambewa was Mercys father. All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born, Liz Rosenberg said. Last month Madonnas application to adopt Mercy was rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents be resident in the southern African state for 18 to 24 months. BBC