Joost: Afrikaans Edition, Spieëlbeeld, Out Soon; Plus: Lauren de Beer’s Feature on the Book

November 9th, 2009 by Amanda

Afrikaans readers eager to get their hands on a copy of Joost van der Westhuizen’s biography won’t have to wait long, as reported on Friday (along with snippets of Joost’s conversation with 3 Talk host Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu):

On Friday, Zebra Press publisher Marlene Fryer said the Afrikaans version, Spieëlbeeld, should be in stores by Wednesday.
In the book, the disgraced former Springbok captain comes clean about his involvement in a sex and drugs video exposed eight months ago.
In the video, Van der Westhuizen is seen naked as stripper Marilize van Emmenis performs oral sex on him and later snorts white powder with him.

Complete article at IOL Tonight

Meanwhile, The Weekender ran a long Lauren de Beer feature on the book and its revelations in its final edition:

WHILE all eyes were on Loftus last Saturday as the Blue Bulls claimed their 23rd Currie Cup , on Sunday the focus was on one of the team’s erstwhile favourite sons as he spent the day explaining himself at the launch of his book, Joost: The Man in the Mirror. Spoiler alert: the handful of people who thought the man in the video wasn’t Joost van der Westhuizen, look away now.
The overwhelming majority of South Africans who never doubted that the former Springbok captain was indeed the Casanova snorting white powder and indulging in slap ’n tickle while wearing socks and less-than-pristine underpants should read on.
A week after the release of his biography — the first print run was sold out in a day — the news has spread faster than a Mexican wave at a rugby match that the most prolific try-scoring Test scrumhalf of all time is guilty as charged. At the beginning of the book, Van der Westhuizen promises to tell his biographer, David Gemmell, “stuff that will make your eyes water. With regard to the video — that will be in the last chapter, and it is going to blow everyone’s socks off.”
Since the innovatively named “Joostgate” scandal broke in February, Van der Westhuizen has denied his assignation with the buxom blond subsequently revealed as Teazers employee and self-confessed Sharks supporter Marlize van Emmenis.
But he found the strain of living a lie taking its toll, to the point that he collapsed in June while entertaining at his Dainfern home. He owes his life to a quick-acting guest who administered CPR.