The relatives of a young Zimbabwean girl who died after being struck by a vehicle linked to a U.S. diplomat are pressing for the official to come back to Zimbabwe and personally offer an apology for the tragedy.
According to BBC, authorities probed the crash that claimed 11-year-old Ruvarashe Takamhanya’s life on June 3, as she was making her way to school in the town of Dema, located about 24 miles southeast of Harare, the capital.
Ruvarashe’s mother, Juliana Vito, said she only learned of the accident from neighbors, then rushed to the scene where the driver was not present.
Zimbabwean authorities identified U.S. Embassy Second Secretary Eric Kimpton as the driver of the vehicle that day, according to several local outlets.
Colleagues have apologized on his behalf, and the U.S. State Department has confirmed that it offered “support to the girl’s family” and sent representatives to attend the funeral. Ruvarashe’s father, Silvester Takamhanya, also confirmed that the U.S. Embassy provided the family with $2,000 to defray funeral costs.
Yet the girl’s parents say these gestures do not suffice.
“I felt like he wasn’t truly sorry,” Vito told BBC. “I wish he would come directly so I could pour my heart out.”
“We are trying to stay strong,” Takamhanya added. “He should return and offer his apologies.”
A police spokesman said embassy officials informed local authorities that Kimpton needed rest after the crash but intended to speak with investigators. However, he left the country soon after the incident and has not returned. Vito said she had been told the diplomat left because he was “affected by the accident.”
“The police who attended the scene were told by senior U.S. embassy officials that he needed a period to rest but were later informed that he was no longer in the country,” Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesman Paul Nyathi told VOA Zimbabwe. “The documentation process hasn’t been completed and the matter remains with the police because we could not proceed with formalities in his absence. It appears he is no longer coming back to Zimbabwe. Investigations have stalled.”
George Charamba, Zimbabwe’s presidential spokesperson, reacted with pointed criticism after learning of the diplomat’s response and subsequent actions.
“When a diplomat is involved in a fatal traffic accident, citing the need for counseling that he believes is only available in his own country, and then choosing to stay away from the police, he ceases to be a diplomat and becomes a fugitive,” Charamba stated.
As a foreign diplomatic official, Kimpton benefits from diplomatic immunity. The State Department notes that immunity allows foreign government personnel to carry out their duties without being subjected to the host country’s criminal jurisdiction.
A State Department guide explains that a diplomatic agent “cannot be prosecuted no matter how serious the offense is unless their immunity is waived by the sending state,” and that the underlying idea is to enable foreign representatives to perform their duties effectively by shielding them from routine law enforcement processes in the host country.
A State Department official said the U.S. embassy recognizes the devastation caused by the accident for all involved and is cooperating with local authorities as investigations continue.
“As a government, we do not believe that the diplomat in question set out to kill our national. It was an accident, regardless of culpability,” government spokesman Nick Mangwana stated, adding, “There is an expectation that the parties involved would take responsibility and act in accordance with the family of the victim as well as with the laws of this country.”
Ruvarashe’s parents acknowledge the diplomat’s immunity from local prosecution but still hope for his return so he can directly explain what happened on the day their daughter was struck.
“I still cannot believe she is gone. She was my only child. I thought she would look after me one day,” Vito said. “I am merely surviving, but my life and my hope are gone. I am fading day by day.”
