
HARARE – Zimbabwe is determined to use all available diplomatic channels to hold a U.S. embassy official accountable for a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl, presidential spokesperson George Charamba announced.
The U.S. Embassy’s Second Secretary, Eric Kimpton, allegedly struck and killed Ruvarashe Takamhanya in Dema, a peri-urban area located over 60km south of Harare, on June 3, 2024. Kimpton left Zimbabwe 24 hours after the incident, citing trauma and the need for counseling in the United States.
Kimpton had initially promised to return to Zimbabwe within two weeks to facilitate the completion of police investigations and resolution of the matter. However, he has remained in the United States, exacerbating diplomatic tensions between Harare and Washington.
George Charamba, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), criticized Kimpton’s conduct and vowed that Zimbabwe would pursue justice.
“No one, from whichever country or continent, is allowed to spill innocent Zimbabwean blood and get away with it,” Charamba told state media.
He emphasized the need for diplomats to adhere to the dignity of their profession and the expectations of the Vienna Convention. “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 the police, he or she moves from being a diplomat to a fugitive,” Charamba stated. “There are adequate instruments which Zimbabwe can summon to bring that diplomat to account. We will do precisely that.”
The Zimbabwean government is set to leverage international diplomatic frameworks to ensure that Kimpton faces justice for the tragic incident.