A devastating fire which destroyed buildings at the University of Cape Town and about 600ha of land in the northern section of Table Mountain National Park in April has been ruled to have been caused intentionally, according to an investigative report made public by South African National Parks on Thursday.

A reward of R10,000 is being offered for any information that will aid investigators to locate a vehicle caught on CCTV footage moving slowly along the shoulder of a freeway immediately adjoining the area where smoke was first detected on the morning of April 18.

The car pulled away just minutes before the smoke was reported to response teams.

“Yes, we do believe that an object was thrown from the car,” said lead fire investigator Rob Erasmus, who presented the report at a press briefing at SANParks headquarters in Tokai.

Natural causes, such as lightning or a rockfall, had been eliminated as possible causes due to the prevailing conditions and location.

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