BBC's Focus on Afriva

Thursday, 30 May, 2002, 20:12 GMT 21:12 UK
'Voice of Africa' dies

By Robin White

Editor, BBC Focus on Africa

Chris Bickerton, presenter of Focus on Africa for more than 30 years, died on Monday 27 May 2002 from cancer.

He began experiencing difficulties in swallowing in April last year, and cancer of the oesophagus was diagnosed later in the year. Chris, 60, had an operation in January, and he, and his doctors, at first believed that the operation had been a great success. He seemed on the road to recovery and he could, it seemed, settle back and enjoy his new son, Sam, born on 6 September 2001.

But on 16 April, he sent this letter to us, his colleagues at the BBC:
"Not such good news, to put it mildly. Just over a month ago I fell ill with an infection.
"I could not shake it off, and a CT Scan has revealed the worst; that the cancer had flared up again. This time it is scattered around the peritoneum, which I take to mean a large area of my insides. It is inoperable. I am being offered chemo-therapy to manage or control it. But really we are just buying time. Without chemo, a few months. With chemo, no-one knows. Everybody, including the doctors, are shocked by the speed of the recurrence. At the moment it's a matter of pain control and living a day at a time for myself, my immensely courageous wife, Jay, and of course baby Sam".

For more than 30 years Chris was the rock around which Focus was built. Some listeners even named their children after him. He was "Mr Reliable" - always there, always calm, always ready to go on air, always patient with producers and journalists, both old and new.

Chris broadcast to Africa for 30 years. He would lift his colleagues' spirits when they felt low. His writing was impeccable. The number of mistakes he made in his career could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Two Liberian journalists comment

I was just simply shocked to have learned right now that Chris was dead as a result of cancer. No wonder we have not heard his soothing and confidence infested voice for some time. On behalf of thousands of Liberians, I say to Chris, Go Good. Your colleagues shall live your legacy of humble reporting about Africa, I believe. This is the first time I ever felt that a so-called white man was my brother.

Mournfully,

Alhaji G.V. Kromah, USA/Liberia

His powerful voice was the magnet that glued millions to their radios, especially in times of crisis. Chris Bickerton made the microphone sound easy to use, although it is not. His voice drew you to the radio, even if you did not want to listen. He pronounced every word, including hard-to-pronounce African names, with ease. He was a great communicator we will miss for ever, for no man else shall be the same. Chris Bickerton whose voice gave hope to the hopeless. May his soul rest in peace, and may God bless his son and wife.

Jay Nagbe Sloh

Liberian Journalist/USA