Members of Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights have now spent three days parked outside Harare's Chikurubi's maximum-security prison, trying to get three seriously ill detainees to hospital for examination and treatment.
Last week when the prison authorities finally obeyed a court order and sent them to hospital, Zimbabwe Prisons Service Commander General Paradzai Zimondi sent orders they be taken back to their cells instead of being admitted.
Yesterday the three most seriously ill, Fidelis Charamba, 72 with cardiac failure, Gandi Mudzingwa in his 50s, with "dangerously high" blood pressure, and human rights worker Jestina Mukoko, were taken to a Harare private hospital, where they were examined by a private doctor and one from the prisons department.
Both doctors said the three should be taken to hospital. But before they could be admitted, Zimondi again ordered them back to prison.
Today they are due in court with their medical certificates in their long struggle to be released as courts have ordered several times since they were kidnapped from October onwards.
"Gandi Mudzingwa is dangerously ill," a nurse who saw him in hospital said yesterday. "His blood pressure is through the roof."
The three and about 30 others were kidnapped from their homes and work places. About 16 remain in solitary confinement in Chikurubi Prison.
When the three were on their way to hospital, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai arrived at Chikurubi Prison to see the detainees. Most of them are Movement for Democratic Change supporters and organisers.
He said he would do all he could to speed up their release. All have been charged with plotting against President Robert Mugabe.
Tsvangirai had said several times he would not be sworn in until they were freed, but he was sworn in anyway on Wednesday.
After two nights in inhumane conditions at the Harare Central Police station, two members of Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights were released yesterday, along with six Women for Zimbabwe Arise members arrested as they held another peaceful Valentine's Day demonstration in Harare on Tuesday.
New Deputy Agriculture Minister Roy Bennett was not sworn into office because he was arrested yesterday at a small airport outside Harare.
The fragile unity government swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday was boycotted by all service chiefs from the police, army, and airforce.
In 2002, they said they would never salute Tsvangirai if he was ever elected to senior office.
Tsvangirai has already juggled his cabinet and kicked out the only white man, Eddie Cross, and brought in Sam Nkomo after there was revolt in the MDC at the lack of Ndebeles in the province.
Tsvangirai has also dropped one of the smaller MDC party's most popular and successful members, Abdenico Bhebe, as water affairs minister.
Mugabe is reported to have appointed six more ministers than the 16 he was allotted in last September's political agreement which created the framework for the unity government.
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There is a side of me feeling sorry for these people but I do not sympathise with Morgan bse he let the NDEBELES DOWN
And so the circus continues despite the eventual formation of the GNU. Despite having the chance to arrest Roy Bennet ever since he arrived back in Zim, Mugabe & cohorts choose Friday to do so, once Tsvangerai has been sworn in and the GNU activated (thus finally legitimising Mugabe as President). Infringement of the basic human right to receive medical attention while in custody has been denied to the MDC activists once again, probably with the hope that they'll die in custody from natural causes; and Mugabe seems to still be doing whatever he pleases despite the agreed principles of the GPA & resulting GNU. Does he honestly think the West will even consider lifting any of the sanctions, or boosting their aid while news like this still comes out of the country and Tsvangerai is shown to have no real power or influence within the GNU? The more things change, the more they stay the same, with Zimbabwe and her people the continual loser.