Africa News blog

Malawi, an impoverished Southern African nation, rarely makes international headlines. But when rumours spread that U.S. pop star Madonna, who adopted a child from the country, will visit, it makes news. Malawian officials say she will visit again this month.

Madonna has said she may adopt a second child from Malawi, despite the controversy over the earlier adoption. Critics accused the government of skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in Malawi, which has been badly hit by an AIDS epidemic.

A second adoption would surely spark another media frenzy, with photographers and cameramen racing to the country to capture images of her every move as millions of poor scratch out a living, oblivious to the photographs that will appear around the world.

Madonna has started a charity in Malawi and has said she wants to help the country. But questions may still arise.

She has captivated millions around the world with sexy, revealing, high-energy performances on stage and songs like “Material Girl”, “Like a Virgin” and “Papa Don’t Preach”. But do her visits to obscure Malawi deserve such attention?