Harare – A diplomatic storm is brewing in Harare after a US Embassy official, Mr Eric Kimpton, allegedly ran over and killed an 11-year-old Zimbabwean girl in June and subsequently fled the country, leaving the grieving family seeking answers and justice. The incident has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about diplomatic immunity and accountability, The Herald has reported.
The tragedy unfolded on June 3rd in Dema, Seke, a sprawling peri-urban area south of Harare, when Mr Kimpton, the US Embassy Second Secretary, allegedly struck and killed Ruvarashe Takamhanya, a primary school student, with his speeding vehicle. The young girl died instantly from the impact of the collision.
The family, still reeling from the loss of their daughter, is left grappling with the devastating reality of their daughter’s death and the added frustration of a seemingly uncooperative diplomatic system.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Mr Kimpton, instead of offering condolences or cooperating with local authorities, informed the police that he needed a period to rest, claiming trauma and a need for counselling services. He then left the country with his family, barely 24 hours after the tragic incident, leaving the police and the family with a growing sense of unease.
“The police who attended the scene were told that he needed a period to rest, but were told later he was no longer in the country. The documentation process hasn’t been completed and the matter is still before the police because we could not proceed with the formalities in his absence. It appears he is no longer coming back to Zimbabwe,” said Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Mr Kimpton’s departure, under the shield of diplomatic immunity, has sent a wave of anger and frustration through the Zimbabwean community. The US Embassy, invoking diplomatic immunity, has effectively prevented Mr Kimpton’s prosecution in Zimbabwe, further exacerbating the situation.
“No one, from whichever country or continent, is allowed to spill innocent Zimbabwean blood and get away with it,” said Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), Mr George Charamba, expressing the nation’s outrage. “The behaviour of diplomats must be consistent with the dignity of their profession but also with the expectations of the Vienna Convention. When a diplomat is involved in a fatal traffic accident, uses the pretext of counselling, which he thinks is only available in his country, and then decides to stay away from the police, he or she moves from being a diplomat to a fugitive and there are adequate instruments which Zimbabwe can summon to bring that diplomat to account. We will do precisely that.”
The incident has brought to the forefront the complex issue of diplomatic immunity, a privilege granted to diplomats and their families under international law, shielding them from prosecution in host countries for most crimes. This immunity is enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
While this immunity is intended to protect diplomats from political persecution and allow them to perform their duties freely, it has often been criticized for allowing diplomats to escape accountability for serious crimes.
Zimbabwe, if Washington refuses to waive Mr Kimpton’s diplomatic immunity, could be forced to declare him a persona non grata, effectively expelling him from the country. However, this action would likely further strain diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The current situation echoes a similar incident in Singapore, where a former Romanian diplomat, Silviu Ionescu, was convicted for a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of a Malaysian man. Despite public outrage, Ionescu was not stopped from leaving Singapore after the accident due to diplomatic immunity. He was only prosecuted after Romania withdrew his diplomatic posting, ending his immunity.
The Zimbabwean government is now faced with a difficult choice: either accept the US Embassy’s claim of diplomatic immunity and allow Mr Kimpton to escape justice, or take a more assertive stance and demand his return to face the consequences of his actions.
