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Former president Jacob Zuma and Black First Land First appear to be forging closer ties after it emerged that Zuma is expected to deliver a keynote address at the organisation's event this weekend.
BLF is charging a R350 entrance fee for the event and tweeted: "Cde JG Zuma Speaks on Land."
BLF leader Andile Mngxitama told News24 that the organisation invited the former ANC president so that they could hear more of his views on radical economic transformation and land.
READ: Justice dept paid R24m for Zuma's legal costs - Masutha
BLF's presence is becoming more prominent around the beleaguered leader, while some his former allies in the governing party were nowhere to be found when he appeared in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on April 6 for corruption charges.
The ANC national executive committee (NEC) sent out a statement, warning members who wanted to support Zuma during the court appearance against wearing party regalia.
Mngxitama denied that Zuma's appearance was about strengthening relations between the former head of state and the BLF.
"This is about radical economic transformation. It is about land. President Zuma presented expropriation without compensation in his 2017 SONA (State of the Nation Address)," said Mngxitama.
"That makes him the father of radical economic transformation," added the BLF leader.
He chastised Parliament for adopting what he labelled a "watered down" and "distorted" version of Zuma's vision.
Mngxitama also denied that the BLF was raising funds to help Zuma with his mounting legal costs.
"The event is raising money for the black caucus' activities, it has nothing to do with Zuma's [legal costs] at all," said Mngxitama.
"If there is a need to raise money, we will help Zuma out. We have stated our support for Zuma unreservedly but no, he has not asked us for donations or money in any way," the BLF leader said to News24.
"Whoever is wondering why we are charging money for this event, do they also wonder when [the] Daily Maverick charges thousands of rands for people to listen to politicians to talk about land?"
He said Zuma's talk would be taken to the townships, where people would not be charged so that they can hear the former president's views.
He added that took issue with the blossoming relationship between the organisation and the former ANC leader, were in fact, opposed to radical economic transformation.
