A group of homeless people in Cape Town broke out of a camp designed to house them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Filmed on April 30, they can be seen pushing back the metal gate in order to make their exit as police watched on.

The site has been at the centre of controversy since the beginning amidst allegation of ill-treatment of the homeless people within the camp.

Ahead of the court action the local ward councillor, Elton Jansen, announced that the city would be closing the site over the next two weeks.

Homeless people being held at the the Strandfontein camp today forced their way out of the camp as Cape Town Law Enforcement officers watched. The camp was set up by the City of Cape town to house homeless people during the national coronavirus lockdown.

The site has been at the centre of controversy since the beginning amidst allegation of ill-treatment of the homeless people within the camp. The South African Human Rights Commission as well as Doctors Without Borders released a report condemning the site and calling for its closure.

Today in the Western Cape High Court the Strandfontein Ratepayers Association faced off against the City to close the site. Ahead of the court action the local ward councillor, Elton Jansen, announced that the City would be closing the site over the next two weeks.