The funeral of a girl who was raped and killed at home on the eve of leaving for university, allegedly by a rapist on parole, was characterised by calls for calmness.

The community of Mphambo outside Malamulele on Saturday remained tense and defiant after the funeral. Vutomi Khosa (18) was buried at the Mphambo cemetery.

Local traditional leader Hosi Ralph Mphambo urged members of the community to be law abiding and if they have information to send it to the information box at the tribal office.

He said he shared the community’s pain that Vutomi had not deserved to die that way, but to further her studies at university as she was supposed to have gone for admission the following day. “But taking the law into their own hands will bring more problems and will not solve anything,” said Mphambo.

The community had told the chief the man was dangerous and that they did not want him in the village.

Local ward councillor Amelia Thwala told the mourners that some people abused the freedom that was attained at great cost in 1994. “Some people feel that their freedom guarantees them the right to rape, kill and deny others the right to live in peace,” said Thwala, who was on the brink of a breakdown.

Thwala said the community should not take the law into their own hands but should work with the Progressive Womens' Movement and the ANC Womens’ league to see that justice was done.

Immediately after the funeral, members of the community gathered near the deceased’s home and planned a march to Malamulele police station. They were stopped halfway by the chief and his lieutenant, Nelson Chauke, who persuaded them to go home and allow the law to take its course.

Family spokesman Livingstone Maluleke said the family had no answers and would rely on the courts to come out with answers why Vutomi had been murdered on the eve of her admission to Univen. “Her mother, a domestic worker, waited for her at the university, but when she did not arrive, she tried to phone her," said Maluleke.

“The purpose was not robbery, because the money she was to use to pay for her studies was found at her home,” said Maluleke.

The incident happened on January 17 and her body was found the following day, 500 metres from her home and in the neighbouring veld. The community went beserk and set alight the houses and car belonging to a 44-year-old man who is out on parole after serving a term for raping his stepdaughter.

When police came to the village, following the burning of his houses, the man rushed to the van for safety. It has emerged that he has since been arrested in connection with the murder and rape of the girl.

Malamulele police spokesperson warrant officer Alson Mapindani confirmed that the man was out on parole after a rape conviction and had been arrested and was facing rape and murder charge in connection with Vutomi’s death.