JOHANNESBURG—Striding across the cement floor of his sparse confines, Joe Biden gave a speech Monday from the South African jail cell where he is still imprisoned for supporting Nelson Mandela. “I have sacrificed a great deal—my freedom, my livelihood, and my safety—in my fight against apartheid, but it has all been worth it to help my great friend Nelson Mandela,” said the former Vice President, his gaunt frame pacing the 8-foot-by-7-foot cell that he has called home since he was arrested for visiting the revolutionary South African civil rights leader in the 1970s. “Despite the fact that I have been unjustly incarcerated here in Africa for decades, I am dedicated to becoming the 46th president of the United States. The fact that I have already been able to serve as your VP and as a senator before that is a testament to what I can accomplish. No walls can contain my mind, and I promise that once I am released, we’re going to the DNC and then on to the White House.” At press time, Biden assured reporters that even if Nelson Mandela does not become his running mate, he does expect an endorsement from the anti-apartheid hero to be forthcoming.

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