On June 3, Ruvarashe was on her way to school in the town of Dema, just 24 miles southeast of Harare, when she was struck by a car.
The driver, identified by Zimbabwean officials as Eric Kimpton, the U.S. Embassy’s Second Secretary, fled the scene immediately after the crash.
Ruvarashe’s mother, Juliana Vito, learned of the horrific accident from neighbors and rushed to the scene, only to find her daughter fatally injured and the driver gone.
“I felt like he wasn’t really sorry,”Vito told the BBC.“I wish he came directly so I could pour myheartout.”
They say these gestures fall far short of what they need—an in-person apology and explanation from the diplomat responsible for their daughter’s death.
Local police and embassy officials initially stated that Kimpton needed time to rest before speaking with investigators.
However, he left Zimbabwe shortly after the incident and has not returned, causing the investigation to stall. Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesman Paul Nyathi expressed frustration, stating that the necessary documentation and formalities could not be completed without Kimpton’s presence.
“When a diplomat is involved in afataltraffic accident, uses the pretext of counseling, which he thinks is only available in hiscountry, and then decides to stay away from police, he or she moves from being a diplomat to a fugitive,” Zimbabwe’s presidential spokesman, George Charamba, said, condemning the diplomat’s actions.
As a diplomat, Kimpton enjoys diplomatic immunity, a legalprotection that exempts foreign officials from local criminal prosecution unless the sending state waives that immunity.
Ruvarashe’s parents, deeply aware of the limitations posed by diplomatic immunity, still hold out hope for personal accountability.
“I still can’t believe she is gone. She was my onlychild. I thought she was going to takecareof me one day,” Vito said, her voice filled with grief. “I’m just surviving but mylifeand my hope is gone. I’m dying day by day.”
Ruvarashe Takamhanya wanted to be an air hostess when she grew up.
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