At the beginning of June 1932, Plaatje embarked on a journey to Johannesburg to arrange for the publication of some of the books he was writing. As was his habit, he took paper, the typewriter and a number of books with him in order to continue his writing while he was there. He arrived at the house of his niece, Mrs Helen Smouse, in Nancefield, Johannesburg.

ILLNESS AND DEATH

Plaatje was tired and the heavy workload, compounded by the other difficulties he faced, made his heart and body weak. Nevertheless, his spirit and his passion were as undaunted as ever. In the midst of his work and weariness, a bout of influenza confined him to bed, but he persevered, writing even in bed.

I saw him for the last time on a Thursday. It was June 16th and he was extremely ill. On Friday he was feeling a little better and got out of bed. I think he interrupted the recovery process but Plaatje had appointments with the publishers and could not lie in bed. He got up with some difficulty from his sickbed – one might say he refused to feel sick – but because he was determined he pushed himself and walked about ten miles to the Nancefield railway station where he took the train to Johannesburg. It was a cold winter's day in June. He left the train and went to the bank to take care of business, then continued to his appointment with the publishers. When he reached the station to take the train back to Nancefield, he collapsed. Dr AB Xuma fetched him, and took him by car back to Nancefield.

When he arrived at his niece's place, it was evident that the trip to town had really taken its toll. The influenza had developed into pneumonia. He was in pain, and extremely weak. An express telegram was sent to Kimberley, to his wife, who arrived on the morning of Sunday 19 June to find her husband fighting for his life. Plaatje took his last breath on the afternoon of Sunday 19 June 1932. It might be said that he died of overwork and anxieties over his publishing and finances.

He died just as he had lived – in the midst of worries over publishing his work and over lack of finances.