Witzenberg Municipality listed by the The Gentlemen ransomware group

Overview

The Gentlemen ransomware group has listed Witzenberg Municipality, a local municipality in the Cape Winelands District of South Africa, on its leak site. The municipality covers the towns of Ceres, Tulbagh, Wolseley and surrounding areas. The listing appeared on 20 January 2026. At the time of analysis, the group's leak page was not reachable.

What was published

The group claims to have exfiltrated data from the municipality. Local governments hold citizen records, administrative data and employee information, which are the likely contents of any exfiltration.

Risks for affected individuals

• Residents' personal data may be exposed.
• Administrative records could enable fraud.
• Employees' information may be included.

What remains unknown

• The volume of data exfiltrated.
• The exact contents of the leak.
• Whether the data has been published elsewhere.

What affected people should do

The municipality should coordinate with provincial cybersecurity authorities, review affected systems, and inform residents and staff. Residents should be alert to phishing referencing the municipality.