A United States of America Embassy official allegedly ran over and killed an 11-year-old Zimbabwean girl in June this year and immediately fled the country.
According to The Herald, Eric Kimpton, the US Embassy’s Second Secretary, allegedly ran over Ruvarashe Takamhanya in Dema on 03 June and left the country barely 24 hours after the tragic accident.
Dema is located in the Seke District of Mashonaland East Province, about 40 kilometres from Harare on the highway which connects the capital to Marondera.
The primary schoolgirl died on the spot from the impact of the speeding vehicle and her grief-stricken parents are seeking answers.
Kimpton, under the shield of diplomatic immunity, left the country with his family, saying he was traumatised and needed to get counselling services.
In his warned and cautioned statement, he had informed the police that he would return to Zimbabwe after two weeks but he is yet to return.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi on Monday night confirmed the accident to The Herald but said there has been no progress since Kimpton is no longer in the country. Said Comm. Nyathi:
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.
In a Note Verbale to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the US Embassy invoked diplomatic immunity for Kimpton to prevent his prosecution in Zimbabwe.
Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), George Charamba, said Zimbabwe will do everything possible to have Kimpton brought to justice. Said Charamba:
No one, from whichever country or continent, is allowed to spill innocent Zimbabwean blood and get away with it.
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.
Under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, foreign diplomats and family members enjoy certain protections that allow them to avoid prosecution for almost any crime unless the diplomat’s home country waives immunity.
If the United States refuses to waive the diplomatic immunity, Zimbabwe could then be forced to declare Kimpton a persona non grata (an unwanted person).
Persona non grata is a diplomatic term that refers to a person who is unacceptable or unwelcome in a particular country.
When a person is declared persona non grata, it means the host country has essentially revoked or refused to recognise that individual’s diplomatic status or credibility.
More: Pindula News