Madonna will now have to wait until next week to find out whether she can have permanent custody of a three-year-old African boy.

A court in Malawi chose to delay today’s final hearing, which was widely expected to grant Madonna full custody of David Banda.

The singer and her husband Guy Ritchie have already been praised by a Malawian social worker for showing “a strong commitment in providing the infant with all essential needs".

Madonna and Ritchie have had temporary custody of Banda for the last 18-months.

Their high-profile adoption has been widely criticised, with many accusing the couple of fast-tracking the usually stringent African adoption system, reports the BBC.

As our site reported yesterday (May 15th), Madonna is understood to be funding a new multi-million dollar project in Malawi that will see the construction of an all-girls school.

(by Jason Gregory)