4FactSake — for fact's sake — is a searchable, cross-referenced public database of state failure and corruption in South Africa from 1994 to present. Every claim is sourced, every person linked to their incidents, and every official excuse is documented alongside the evidence that debunks it.
This is not an opinion platform. It is a forensic record. The facts speak for themselves.
Every incident in the database is assessed using a transparent evidence framework. We don't publish unsubstantiated claims — each entry must meet a minimum evidence threshold:
Proven
Court conviction or commission of inquiry finding. The highest standard.
Documented
Official report, audit finding, or government investigation. Formal record exists.
Reported
Credible investigative journalism from established outlets with editorial standards.
Alleged
Under investigation or credibly claimed. Clearly marked — never presented as fact.
Our database draws from verified, publicly available sources including:
Every source citation includes a specific reference — page number, paragraph, or timestamp — so claims can be independently verified.
One of 4FactSake's unique features is the systematic documentation of official excuses. When accused of corruption, officials follow predictable patterns: denial, deflection, playing the race card, claiming conspiracy, or hiding behind “transformation”.
Each excuse is categorised, quoted with source attribution, and where possible, matched with the evidence that debunks it. This creates a powerful record of how those in power attempt to avoid accountability — and how often those attempts succeed.
4FactSake is independently funded and has no political affiliation, party membership, or corporate sponsorship. We receive no government funding of any kind.
This independence is non-negotiable. The database documents corruption across all political parties, all levels of government, and all eras — from 1994 to present. No party, person, or institution is exempt from scrutiny if the evidence warrants inclusion.
Operating costs are funded through private contributions and consulting revenue. No funder has editorial influence over the database contents or methodology.
The database is a living document that is continuously expanded as new evidence emerges, court cases conclude, and commissions report their findings.
112+
Incidents
131+
Persons
173+
Entities
276+
Sources
Coverage spans all 9 provinces, 20 corruption categories, and 5 political eras. Financial amounts are deduplicated where incidents overlap to prevent double-counting.
4FactSake is an open accountability project. If you have sourced information about corruption incidents that should be in this database, we want to hear from you.
All submissions must include verifiable sources. We do not accept anonymous tips, rumours, or unsupported allegations. The strength of this database is its evidentiary standard — and we intend to keep it that way.