HARARE – A viral write-up claiming first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa slapped MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe is a “yarn”, according to those who attended a weekend wedding where the incident allegedly happened.

Khupe was not at the wedding of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Emmerson Tanaka to Farirai Chieza, according to those who attended the exclusive event at the Borrowdale Country Manor on Sunday.

A sensational draft of what appears to be a news article was widely circulated on WhatsApp and the internet, claiming the first lady was angry to find Khupe at the wedding after she did not invite him. It was claimed she slapped Khupe across the face, accusing her of being “more than political allies” with her husband.

“Wajaira kudanana nevarume vevanhu Thoko. Wainyengwa naTsvangirai uchinyepera kusekerera mukadzi wake,” Auxillia was alleged to have shouted at Khupe in the account which described her as “unhinged”.

Khupe was alleged to have been escorted out of the venue yelling “Auxillia unomona”.

But Norton MP Temba Mliswa, who attended the event, told ZimLive that the MDC-T leader was “not there”.

“She never came to the wedding. There was only a few people there. The reception probably 200 people only, family and friends. She doesn’t fit into that category at all,” said Mliswa.

“The friends are well-known, these are long-time friends of the families of the bride and the groom. Not even Zanu PF people were there, the only Zanu PF there was the chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, Chris and Monica Mutsvangwa are family friends for a long time, July Moyo is a family friend for a long time. It was Emmerson Tanaka and his wife’s wedding, young people, let’s be fair on this.”

Mliswa has previously issued denials in support of the volatile first lady, including once when he claimed a recorded phone call made by Mnangagwa’s wife to a top military commander she accused of spying on her had been manipulated.

His account was however backed by George Charamba, the spokesman for the presidency who is on Twitter ghosting as @jamwanda2.

“Yours truly was at the Mnangagwa wedding from start to end. When you hear a yarn about an alleged scuffle between the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa and Madame Thokozani Khupe who did not attend the wedding, you are left both dumbfounded and bemused by the runaway fiction!,” Charamba tweeted.

A request for a comment left for Khupe had not been answered at the time of publication.