FILE PIC. Joost van der Westhuizen crying during The Castle Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Soccer City Complex on October 06, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)
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’s 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, Beeld reported.
The case has been put on the court roll for October 1.
-Sapa
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