The family of 11-year-old Ruvarashe Takamhanya, who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident involving a U.S. diplomat in Zimbabwe, is pleading for justice and closure as the diplomat has not returned to face them or the local authorities.
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 my heart out.”
Despite the U.S. Embassy offering financial assistance for Ruvarashe’s funeral and sending representatives to attend the service, the family remains heartbroken and unsatisfied.
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.
“We are trying to be brave,” said Ruvarashe’s father, Silvester Takamhanya in an interview with the VOA in Zimbabwe. “He should come back and say sorry.”
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 a fatal traffic accident, uses the pretext of counseling, which he thinks is only available in his country, 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 legal protection that exempts foreign officials from local criminal prosecution unless the sending state waives that immunity.
While the U.S. State Department has acknowledged the tragedy and is cooperating with Zimbabwean authorities, it has not indicated that Kimpton will return to face further questioning.
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 only child. I thought she was going to take care of me one day,” Vito said, her voice filled with grief. “I’m just surviving but my life and my hope is gone. I’m dying day by day.”
Ruvarashe Takamhanya wanted to be an air hostess when she grew up.
