Principal tells of struggle in apartheid days

Mike Burton, who had to walk a fine line in trying times, launches book

When Mike Burton took on the role of principal at All Saints College in Bhisho in the 1980s, he unknowingly began the most important role of his life.

Burton played a very prominent role during the struggle against the apartheid regime in the Eastern Cape, while also navigating his responsibilities of teaching and leading pupils through their education at the time.

His recently launched book, Treading a Delicate Tightrope, chronicles the struggles he faced alongside other freedom fighters at the time, and the emphasis he put on ensuring the pupils received adequate education that would help them through life beyond high school.

“We wanted to ensure we prioritised the children’s education as well as their liberation,” said Burton.

“We had students with us when we went on our marches, so many of them had a good understanding of what we were fighting for.

“It was a very difficult time because we were all putting our lives at risk for the struggle.”

Burton was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and received his teaching qualification from Rhodes University. When he moved to SA, he first taught at Kingswood College in Makhanda before becoming principal at All Saints College.

After more than 30 years Burton’s wife encouraged him to share the stories of what happened all those years ago.

“This is the first and only book I plan to write. This is a very personal book that I wrote just so that I could share my account of what happened all those years ago,“said Burton.

All Saints College was established as a private school in 1986 and prided itself on being a non-racial and antiapartheid institution.

The college is now known as the SAPS Detective Academy All Saints.

- The book is available for R225 online on the African Books Collective and Amazon websites, or directly through Burton via email at: mswburton@gmail.com