SA traffic light tamperer stopped

The Johannesburg man was picked up after residents told police they had seen someone fiddling with the lights.

Police say he confessed to working for two tow-truck companies, attempting to generate extra business for them.

In recent months, there have been a number of accidents in the area as a result of malfunctioning traffic lights.

Police spokeswoman Sergeant Katlego Mogale said the man was arrested on Saturday in the city's western suburb of Roodepoort and had been seen with two children helping him.

Murder?

"We will be charging him with attempted murder and malicious damage to property," she said.

"We don't know how long he has being doing this and how many accidents he might have caused," she said.

The unnamed man is expected in court on Tuesday.

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) chief executive Mavela Dlamini said they would sue any culprits if it could be proved that any accidents or deaths had resulted from their actions.

South Africa has one of the world's highest road accident rates.