Picture by Associated Press (AP)
Madonna, centre, tours the Mphandura orpahange near Lilongwe, Malawi
Madonna, centre, tours the Mphandura orpahange near Lilongwe, Malawi
By Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg and Raphael Tenthani in Lilongwe
Madonna was stripped of the VIP status afforded to her on arrival as she flew out of Malawi on Saturday after a public spat with the country's president about her charitable work there.
The change in protocol, which was apparently prompted by an instruction from high up, meant the world famous pop singer was forced to queue, with her large entourage and children, to check in and go through airport security in the ordinary passenger terminal.
Madonna and her spokesman were said to be apparently "very annoyed" by the change in their status but her children were apparently delighted to see how the other half live.
It came after a war of words broke out between the singer and the Malawian authorities. The country's education minister accused Madonna of "exaggerating" the extent of her charitable work in the country and a request by Madonna for an audience with President Joyce Banda was ignored.
The singer's spokesman claimed the president was acting on a "grudge" her sister Anjimile Oponyo had against the celebrity – having been sacked as the head of her charitable foundation for alleged theft. These allegations have been denied by Ms Oponyo
VIPs flying into Malawi's Kamuzu International Airport are normally ferried to and from their planes by limousine and wait in a special lounge.
They have their passports checked and stamped, and their luggage handled, by special staff - so do not have to queue.
When Madonna arrived in Malawi last Monday with her two adopted Malawian children, David and Mercy James, both eight, Rocco, 12, and 14-year-old Lourdes, she was treated as a VIP. It was in keeping with her previous visits to the country, when the Malawi government also provided her with heavy security.
But on Saturday night Malawi immigration officials refused to accord the same privileges to her party before she boarded her private Gulfstream jet.
"There was a directive that Miss Louise Ciccone, travelling on an American passport, and her children should use the ordinary passenger terminal on their way to their jet," said a Department of Aviation source at the airport. "Her manager Trevor Neilson and her security detail tried to negotiate but we told them we can't open the VIP lounge without authorisation."
As the global celebrity and her 15-strong entourage were forced to make their way through the airport, chaos ensued.
"Each and every person on her entourage went through the normal security checkpoints, their passports were stamped as a normal passenger. We conducted physical body checks and all their luggage went through security screening which never happened before," said the airport official.
"Madonna and Mr Neilson were very annoyed by this but her children, especially David, seemed to enjoy mingling with the ordinary people. David would stray to talk to other children and his mother used to call him back," he added.
While there was no confirmation that President Banda had ordered the change in status, she did complain about Madonna being afforded VIP status when she arrived in Malawi in an interview. She also criticised her treatment of ordinary Malawians.
"She just came unannounced and proceeded to villages and made poor people dance for her. And immigration officials opened the VIP lounge for her just because previously she enjoyed the VIP status," the president told a journalist covering the visit.
Chief Immigration Officer Hudson Mankhwala said that for visitors to be accorded VIP treatment, the authorities had to be notified of their visit and its purpose in advance.
He said he could not comment on Madonna's status because the Malawi government was not officially notified of her visit.
Madonna arrived in Malawi on April 1. She visited the ten school blocks her Raising Malawi charity has built in collaboration with a non-profit organisation BuildOn.