Malawi has accused US singer Madonna of "bullying state
officials" after she reportedly complained about her
treatment on a visit to the country.
Madonna - who has adopted two Malawian-born children - recently
visited 10 primary schools funded by her charity.
The government accused the star of exaggerating her contribution to
the country and demanding VIP treatment.
Madonna's manager accused Malawi's government of having a "grudge"
against the singer's charity, Raising Malawi.
In a statement to the BBC, Trevor Neilson also accused the
government of financial mismanagement of school project funds, and
of "harassing organisations that Raising Malawi has donated to".
'Public spat'
Madonna was said to have been angered that she and her entourage
were stripped of their VIP status on their way out of the country,
the UK's Daily Telegraph reported.
They had to line up with other passengers at the airport and were
frisked by security officials, the report said.
The change in status was said to be the result of a public spat about
her charitable work in Malawi.
A harshly-worded statement issued by the office of President
Joyce Banda on Wednesday accused Madonna of wanting Malawi "to
be forever chained to the obligation of gratitude".
"Granted, Madonna is a famed international musician. But that does not
impose an injunction of obligation on any government under whose
territory Madonna finds herself, including Malawi, to give her state
treatment. Such treatment, even if she deserved it, is discretionary
not obligatory,'' said the statement.
It accused her of being "a musician who desperately thinks she must
generate recognition by bullying state officials instead of playing
decent music on the stage".
It added: "Among the many things that Madonna needs to learn as a
matter of urgency is the decency of telling the truth.
"For her to tell the whole world that she is building schools in Malawi
when she has actually only contributed to the construction of
classrooms is not compatible with manners of someone who thinks
she deserves to be revered with state grandeur."
Madonna's manager Trevor Neilson said buildOn, the non-profit group
that partnered with Raising Malawi to construct the schools, was
"mystified" by the claims about school buildings.
"They went through every step of every process required
to build a school in Malawi, and the schools were built in the model
of schools all across the country," Mr Neilson told the BBC.
Mr Neilson said: "Madonna is the largest individual philanthropist in Malawi.
We will continue to fund programmes that support children in Malawi."
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22103748