In a televised address late Tuesday, Ramaphosa spoke of women in government mortuaries awaiting identification and relatives to take them home, asking how the country could not feel grief and anger.
Since July, 11 women’s bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. Most victims were in their 20s or 30s; some were found stripped and showing signs of sexual violence. The deaths renewed public anger after government promises to curb gender-based violence.
Police have found no evidence of a serial killer, Ramaphosa said, but all possibilities remain under investigation. Arrests have been made in connection with three of the killings, and investigations into all deaths will continue.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest per-capita murder rates. The report says corruption and a lack of resources weaken policing, with only about one in ten murders solved.