President Robert Mugabe’s under pressure government is facing a fresh crisis after teachers warned yesterday that they would stage a crippling strike if authorities go ahead with their plans to close more than 40 schools in Matabeleland South.

Their mass action threats come as fed up nurses have also given the government notice that they will soon start toyi-toying to press for improved working conditions and the dismissal of the Health Services Board (HSB) secretariat, which they accuse of failing to act on their long-standing grievances.

Various teachers’ representatives told the Daily News yesterday that they had already put in motion the process of mobilising their members, civic groups and community leaders to confront the government over the school closure debacle.

This comes after the government announced last week that it was planning to shut down 40 schools in Matabeleland South — on account of low pupil and student enrolments.

A fuming Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general, Raymond Majongwe, did not mince his words yesterday, telling the Daily News that they would go on strike if the government went ahead with their plans.