TWENTY-FOUR hours after announcing his resignation from Cope Allan Boesak is mired in another controversy.

This time it is about reports that he has gone knocking at President Jacob Zuma's door - with the hope of finding a political home.

But Boesak, left, is denying having made such overtures to the ruling ANC.

On Wednesday, Zuma's spokesperson Zizi Kodwa was quoted in the media as saying Boesak had asked for a meeting with the ANC president.

Yesterday, Kodwa confirmed again to Sowetan that Boesak had definitely asked for a meeting with Zuma. "Boesak asked the ANC Western Cape task team (led by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana) to set up the meeting. He didn't only ask for the meeting after he had resigned, he asked a few days before that."

But in a statement released yesterday, Boesak said: "I have not in the past and have not now requested any meetings with the President of South Africa."

"The contribution I hope to make will be from outside any party political structures, including those of the ANC. "

Boesak added that if Zuma wanted to meet him to discuss the contribution Boesak could make to South Africa, he would "make himself available".

Before joining Cope Boesak had made overtures to the ANC but was rebuffed. Cope insiders accuse him of having made unreasonable financial demands when he was nominated its Western Cape premier-elect.

Boesak resigned from Cope on Monday, citing "faction fighting, rising mud and internal strife" as some the reasons for his departure.