Share

Joost halts book release

Cape Town - Former Springbok great Joost van der Westhuizen's attorney has launched a court application to prevent the publication of a book about his marriage to Amor Vittone, Beeld reported.

Ferdi Hartzenberg, Van der Westhuizen's attorney, said the health of his client, who has advanced Motor Neuron Disease, (MND) could be adversely affected by the publication of the book, written by journalist Gavin Prins.

“The bottom line is that any unnecessary stress could result in Joost's premature death, because stress is deadly for MND,” he said.

“The question we will ask in court is whether Mr Prins' right to free speech trumps Joost's right to life,” Hartzenberg said.

He said publisher Random House Struik's secrecy surrounding the content of the book had forced him to approach the High Court in Pretoria to halt publication.

Neither Prins nor his attorney, Willem de Klerk, responded to requests from Beeld for comment.

The book, with the working title, “Joost and Amor - agter die skerms” (behind the scenes)”, was set for publication in early October.

The case has been put on the court roll for October 1.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Ulster 28
Benetton 27
loading... Live
Scarlets 20
Sharks 27
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 941 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 458 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE