WATCH: News anchor Aldrin Sampear issues public apology after viral incident

Aldrin Sampear

Cape Town – Newzroom Afrika anchor Aldrin Sampear has returned to work after being placed on indefinite leave due to a road rage incident in Johannesburg involving a young female motorist identified as Laricia Augusto.

The incident, which went viral on social media, led to public backlash after Augusto accused Sampear of physical aggression, including pushing, grabbing, and hitting her.

Sampear has publicly apologised to Newzroom Afrika viewers, colleagues, and management but did not apologise directly to Augusto.

“On the 17th of April, I was involved in a traffic incident which resulted in a confrontation between myself and another driver and having made time to reflect on these events, I want to take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.

While he denied assaulting her, he acknowledged that he failed to de-escalate the situation and expressed regret for his actions.

“Although I did not assault the other driver, I believe that I should have been more composed and found a way to de-escalate the situation. I fell short of the standards I hold myself to and, for that, I want to express my regret and sincere apologies to our viewers, my colleagues here at Newsroom Afrika and the management.

Sampear pledged to use this experience as a lesson and work on rebuilding public trust.

“I’ve worked really hard to make sense of this experience and the root cause of my response, and I hope that through my actions from now on, to rebuild the trust and the confidence placed in me as I continue on this journey to do better.”

Charges have been laid against him by Augusto, who claims she felt unsafe during the altercation, reported The Citizen.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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