Roger Webster, storyteller, raconteur, heritage supporter, broadcaster and author passed away after a short illness on 6th January 2020. Roger was an enthusiast of South African heritage and history.
Roger made a name for himself as a broadcaster of his series "Fireside Chats". His style was that of telling his tales to listeners around his metaphorical African bush campfire. He wrote his own scripts. His programme was popular on SAFM for many years. HIs voice was warm, friendly and enthralled listeners. He was at his best in using the cadences of his voice to convey mood, moment and drama in the history he told. People, past and present interested Roger.
After a career in mining and stockbroking, he looked to South African history to research, write and share his take on the past and what it meant for the present political dispensations. He conducted research to find unusual stories about the past. HIs goal was to share details about ordinary people, black and white, who performed amazing feats and who needed to be retrieved from the dim and distant past. Those little known curious tales interested Roger. He wanted a simple history we could all be proud of. He travelled far and wide In search of a character, a heritage site or buried event. Each story was an adventure and the telling was wrapped in his personality and his interpretation. He travelled widely in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Namibia.
Roger was the author of At the Fireside: True Southern African Stories, 5 volumes of his stories about South Africa's past and people published by Spearhead. I particularly liked...
