Press kit & media resources
4FactSake is the most comprehensive structured, cross-referenced public corruption database in South Africa — documenting R5.3 trillion in financial exposure across 257 incidents, with every claim sourced and cross-referenced, available in all 11 official languages.
The companion book, Admitted. Noted. Cleared., launches 18 July 2026 — Mandela Day.
R5.3T
Financial exposure documented
258
Corruption incidents
217
Persons documented
287
Entities tracked
665
Primary sources cited
11
Official languages
4.4%
Accountability rate
1994–Now
Period covered
“A forensic, fact-based account of corruption in post-apartheid South Africa — from the Arms Deal to state capture to municipal collapse — documenting R5.3 trillion in financial exposure across 257 incidents, with every claim sourced and every excuse debunked.”
Schalk van der Merwe is the founder of OKMS, a municipal accountability consultancy that fights overbilling and service delivery failures across Gauteng. With seven active clients and over R10 million in disputed municipal charges, he has spent years inside the system this book exposes.
He is not a journalist, academic, or politician. He is someone who got a sewerage bill for a property that wasn't connected to the sewer — and decided to fight. That fight led him into the machinery of municipal governance, where he discovered that the failures are not accidents. They are features.
Fact Sheet (1 page)
Key statistics, book details, platform overview
HTML — print to PDF
Chapter 1: The Everyday Collapse
Sample chapter — opens with potholes, loadshedding, and water cuts
Coming soon
Author Bio
Background, OKMS credentials, project motivation
HTML — print to PDF
Infographic: The Receipt
R5.3 trillion visualised by era and category
Coming soon
Infographic: Your Share
R99,000 — what corruption costs every South African
Coming soon
4FactSake Logo (hi-res)
SVG vector logo, print-ready
SVG
Book Cover
Front cover artwork for press use
Coming soon
Screenshots (Platform)
Key pages: homepage, search, network, receipt
Coming soon
All materials are free for editorial use with attribution to 4FactSake. Assets are being prepared — check back or email for early access.
Full Database Search
Search all 257 incidents, 217 persons, 287 entities
The Receipt
Watch R5.3 trillion build, case by case
3D Corruption Network
Immersive Pain Galaxy — why SA is failing
Excuse Tracker
Every excuse, documented and debunked
Power Map
Political hierarchy and connections
Province Map
Geographic breakdown of corruption
For interviews, review copies, or data enquiries:
media@4factsake.infoResponse time: 24–48 hours. Advance review copies available on request for verified media.
All data on 4FactSake is free for editorial use with attribution. Book content © 2026 Schalk van der Merwe. All rights reserved. Platform data is sourced from public records, court judgments, and official reports.