Twitter has a field day after Joe Biden says he was arrested trying to meet Nelson Mandela
“There are white lies and then there are Joe Biden's lies.”
Social media continues to have a field day after US presidential candidate Biden said he was arrested “on the streets of Soweto trying to get to see Nelson Mandela on Robben Island”.
In a viral video, Biden is addressing a crowd before describing events that allegedly took place three decades ago.
“This day, 30 years ago, Nelson Mandela walked out of prison and entered into discussions about apartheid,” Biden said. “I had the great honour of meeting him. I had the great honour of being arrested with our UN ambassador on the streets of Soweto trying to get to see him on Robben Island.”
The original video was posted on the SouthCarolinaETV YouTube channel on February 11, 30 years after Mandela was released from prison after the unbanning of political organisations such as the ANC, PAC and SACP.
Biden's claims were thrust into the spotlight again when a New York Times article revealed that Biden had never spoken about the arrest until the 2020 presidential race.
According to the publication, former civil rights activist and Georgia congressman Andrew Young, who was a US ambassador from 1977 to 1979, recalled travelling to the country with Biden, but not getting arrested.
“No, I was never arrested and I don't think he was either. I don't think there was ever a situation where congressmen were arrested in SA.”
The claims have been questioned and the geography has left social media users in stitches — Robben Island, in Table Bay, is 1,239km from Soweto.
Here is a snapshot of the reactions.
Morning South Africa
— Johan Lorenzen (@JohanLorenzen) February 22, 2020
Joe Biden has invented a story that he was arrested in Soweto (!) when he was trying to see Madiba (!!) on Robben Island (!!!).
And that Madiba thanked him for it after his release.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. https://t.co/FrO7xcjoNF
Joe Biden in the streets of Soweto, on his way to see Mandela at Robben Island pic.twitter.com/l9gtDkaYQg
— Pearl Boshomane Tsotetsi (@Pearloysias) February 22, 2020
Aside from the denials, the idea of Joe Biden getting arrested in Soweto as he was "trying to get to see [Nelson Mandela] on Robbens Island [sic]” is... not very plausible. https://t.co/Z3epRQPoPj pic.twitter.com/arCz9YzEGr
— Michael Bueckert 🍞📈 (@mbueckert) February 21, 2020
So Joe Biden says he was arrested by police in Soweto in the 1970s while on his way to Robben Island to see Nelson Mandela. Talk about a hectic detour, unless there's a ferry in Pimville we've all failed to notice all these years......
— Mninawa Ntloko (@ntlokom) February 22, 2020
Joe Biden just said he did better with Unions than anybody in the race.
— Ja'Mal Green (@JaymalGreen) February 23, 2020
He also said he got arrested trying to go see Nelson Mandela in Africa.
He needs a polygraph attached at all times to beep every time he lies. We are the campaign supported by the most unions & workers!✊🏽