Zimbabwe’s government publicly denied claims on Sunday that its spy agency had attempted to kidnap main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa as he left a rally this weekend.

Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change party tweeted Saturday that “Central Intelligence Organisation agents (participated) in a failed attempt to abduct” Chamisa following a rally in Marondera, 72km east of Harare.

The post was accompanied by a screengrab of a video which showed a group of men gathered around an SUV. The party later said that Chamisa was safe following the alleged incident.

But President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government fiercely denied the claims.

“Government is dismayed at the imputation that state agents would attempt to abduct opposition leaders. That notion is not only false but malicious,” Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement.

November 21 will mark the one-year anniversary of former president Robert Mugabe’s resignation following a brief military takeover that was followed by Mnangagwa’s appointment.